The Frame

Rankine, whose poetry has examined everyday racism in America, and Wolfe, whose music addresses issues of the American worker, were both named MacArthur Foundation fellows; as the Fall TV season launches, we visit with producer Betsy Beers at Shondaland, one of the most successful companies in the industry.

Diavolo Dance Theatre is reinventing modern dance by combing architecture and wildly physical choreography; media critics have been piling on NBC for going soft on the GOP nominee, and now late night host Samantha Bee has joined the fray; Richard Nelson keeps his election-themed plays current by writing until the last minute.

The new documentary, “The Lovers and the Despot,” tells the true story of what happened in 1978 when Kim Jong-il ordered the kidnapping of a filmmaking couple from South Korea to jumpstart North Korea's movie industry; William Bell has revived the classic Stax sound; a new report shows that the music business is actually making money in the streaming age.

Playwright and performer Lucy Alibar draws on her Southern childhood for “Throw Me on the Burnpile and Light Me Up"; Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, who won a writing Emmy for "Master of None," talk about their approach to diversity; the Toronto International Film Festival kicked off a lot of Academy Award talk.

Kent McCord of the 1960-70s TV cop show, "Adam-12," which was produced in partnership with the LAPD. McCord says a show about cops who aren't "edgy" wouldn't sell in today's TV business; In advance of TV's big awards night, we discuss what goes into an Emmy campaign, and how valuable is a nomination or a win in this era of "too much TV"?

Cheo Hodari Coker, creator and showrunner of the Netflix series "Luke Cage," unpacks the idea of building a show around a superhero who also happens to be a "bullet-proof black man" in a hoodie; Can Pandora and Amazon be the next disruptors in the streaming music space? They hope so.

The documentary "Audrie & Daisy" examines the sexual assault and cyber-shaming of two teen girls; with its third album, the band Local Natives remains entrenched in Silver Lake's indie rock scene; a group of songwriters is challenging the Dept. of Justice's control over royalty rates.

How do unconscious biases affect hiring practices in Hollywood? To dig deeper into this issue, Cathy Schulman (Oscar-winning producer/Women In Film) and Judith Williams (Global Head of Diversity at Dropbox) put Frame host John Horn to the test as if he's a studio executive; In 2005 Jackie Lopez co-founded the hip hop troupe "Versa Style" to teach kids not only how to dance but the cultural history behind hip hop.

"Kicks" filmmakers discuss how being outsiders who didn't fit society's views of manhood fueled the making of their lyrical coming-of-age drama; A new documentary explores why Brad Bird's 1999 animated film "The Iron Giant" was a critical darling, but a box office bomb; Inside Nate Parker's "The Birth of a Nation" press conference at TIFF; Can you scream like Nicholas Cage?

Every August, cultural festivals take over the Scottish city of Edinburgh with thousands of performances taking place day and night. This year The Frame host John Horn immersed himself in shows and brings an audio postcard of his creative excursion; TV reporter Whitney Friedlander joins us to preview some new and returning television shows that are worthy of our time and DVR space this fall.

The writer/director of "Hereditary" returns with another film that's guaranteed to creep you out; the summer box office is 10% from last year, as proven franchises underperform and original hits are nearly extinct; keeping the music of Harry Partch alive.

The former pro football player began directing music videos and TV shows, and is not turning his children's book into a short animated film; Spotify walks back a program for indie musicians; the exquisite voice of counter-tenor John Holiday.

The veteran producer started out as a lawyer, but she switched careers and is now one of Hollywood's top show-runners; Taylor Swift isn't happy about the fate of every album she has recorded to date; a visit to a collective of video game designers.

Daisy Ridley goes from "Star Wars" to Shakespeare, Alan Yang ("Master of None," "Forever") gives his take on the changing TV biz. Fifty years after Stonewall, we unearth the soundtrack to the gay liberation movement. Toni Morrison gets a documentary worthy of her genius. Himesh Patel channels the Beatles in "Yesterday" and more...

The classically-trained actress became widely known through "Star Wars," but now she's looking for smaller, meaty roles; the new documentary, "Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am."

'On the Inside' is a group exhibition of LGBTQ artists who are currently incarcerated; a look back at the largely unheard music of the early gay liberation movement; how movies (and movie theaters) will survive the next decade.

TV producer Alan Yang on how his mission in storytelling has changed; L.A. Times TV critic Lorraine Ali says the Democratic debates are the best reality show; writer and musician Solvej Schou reunites with her mentor, high school English teacher Barry Smolin.

Himesh Patel stars as a struggling musician who awakens one day to a world where only he remembers the songs of The Beatles; Ann Sarnoff is named head of Warner Bros. studio.

In 1989, the first all-female crew was assembled for a famously grueling 'round-the-world sailing competition that's chronicled in the new documentary, "Maiden"; musicians have filed the first lawsuit resulting from a devastating 2008 fire on the Universal Studios backlot.

"The Central Park Five" tragedy gets put in operatic scale; Prince estate releases album of "new" old songs; Scorsese take footage from Bob Dylan's 1975 Rolling Thunder tour to create a "fever dream" film and "Sea of Solitude" video game creator wants people to feel less alone in their loneliness.

Designer Connie Geppert takes on depression and loneliness in her much-anticipated video game; a new effort to diversity the ranks of film and TV critics; in the classroom with a real life 'School of Rock' teacher dude.

Composer Anthony Davis turns the troubling tale into a world premiere for Long Beach Opera; the Hollywood courtship continues for Democratic presidential candidates; singer-songwriter Steve Gunn collaborates with Japanese folk singer Sachiko Kanenobu.