The Frame

We continue our series on how police are depicted on TV with the creators of “COPS,” the longest-running reality show in TV history. Creator John Langley tells us about the show’s genesis and why it continues to be so popular; the Latino Comics Expo is unofficially known as the “Latino Comic-Con"; Comedy Central says Larry Wilmore's show failed to gain traction with viewers.

From refugee athletes to individual profiles, Olympics mini-docs are a big part of the broadcast and have been since the 1970s. NBC Sports' Jimmy Roberts joins us from Rio where he's reporting on his 16th Olympics; Part 2 of our look inside the Sundance Directors Lab, where eight budding filmmakers are encouraged to take risks and seize the opportunity of a lifetime.

We visit the Sundance Director's Lab where Robert Redford and a group of industry pros mentor up and coming filmmakers. Variety's chief TV critic Maureen Ryan breaks down the CBS news coming out of the Television Critics Association press tour; Colburn Conservatory of Music graduates endure stressful mock auditions to prepare for the real thing.

Actress Taraji P. Henson opens up about the career path that led her to her Emmy-nominated role of Cookie Lyon on the hit Fox show, "Empire"; amid the bad reviews for "Suicide Squad," we look at the unsustainable — but enduring — Hollywood business model of taking big swings at expensive movies in hopes of finding a franchise.

In our #CopsOnTV series, writer-producer Cheo Hodari Coker reveals what he learned about the LAPD while producing the police drama, "Southland," and how that connected with his experiences as a black man; the bad news/good news of NBC's Olympic ecosystem: broadcast viewership is down, but online streaming is booming.

In the first of a continuing series of conversations, former "Law & Order: SVU" executive producer Neal Baer says studios and networks want police to be depicted as heroes; how soon will virtual reality become a big thing in entertainment?

Stuntwoman and "American Ninja Warrior" contestant Jessie Graff teaches host John Horn some tricks of her trade; the opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics has become a job for film directors; Aubrey Plaza's amateur basketball team, the Pistol Shrimps, has quite the following.

The comic actress' star-turn in "Ghostbusters" and another Emmy nod for "SNL" have her primed for bigger things; fans of the kids' show 'Doc McStuffins' are worried about the future of one of the few kids' shows with a black lead character; DanceSafe provides education and and even drug-testing at raves, but its hands are tied by a federal law.

Artist and animator Jorge Gutiérrez discusses the creative inspirations of the U.S.-Mexico border and the painting spree that led to his gallery show; HBO, Netflix and NBC face the press at the Television Critics Association; screenwriter, producer and former studio chief James Schamus makes his directorial debut with "Indignation."

Director Marc Osborne didn't want to make a straight-ahead adaptation of "The Little Prince," so he came up with a novel approach; "Equity" is the rare movie about Wall Street that stars and is made by women; Claire Boucher, aka Grimes, dissects her song, “Kill V. Maim.”

The popular politics podcast launches a weekly TV version on HBO leading up to the mid-term elections; the ReelAbilities Film Festival showcases movies and conversations to gain a greater appreciation of opportunities and challenges for differently-abled people.

The digital platform provides opportunities for comedy shows like "Everything Is Fine!"; the annual VF Summit draws the biggest names in Hollywood and Silicon Valley; Desert Daze claims a space on the music festival landscape.

The film is an attempt to understand the motives behind the horrific 2011 attack at a teen camp in Norway; Taylor Swift showed her political leanings this week, but can she make a difference?

The Academy Award-winning director takes on a biopic of astronaut Neil Armstrong; "American Saga: Gunshot Medley: Part 1" is a new play about the struggle against systemic racism.

Cinematographer Matthew Libatique talks about shooting the film's live concert scenes at Coachella and other venues; New York Times culture critic Amanda Hess on how the new TV season is addressing the #MeToo movement; Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, breaks down her song, "Woman."

It's been 11 years since the writer/director's last film, and she returns with a personal movie about infertility; singer Luciana Souza has a new album based on Leonard Cohen's poetry.

The man who made crucial contributions to the music of Duke Ellington gets a tribute in David Rousséve's "Halfway to Dawn"; a dozen years after his death, James Brown's estate remains a muddled mess; Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson has a riveting video installation at The Broad.

The dissident Chinese artist has three current exhibitions in Los Angeles; the Kavanaugh-Ford hearing gets a theatrical treatment with the gender roles reversed; Manhattan's High Line is the setting for "The Mile Long Opera."

He's currently in the films "The Sisters Brothers" and "Venom," he's about to perform in the title role of "Hamlet" for Netflix, while also furthering his career as a rapper; Donald Trump's presidency is the ultimate reality show, but will it get renewed in 2020?

Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek and the film's writer/director talk about what may or may not be the actor's final role; actress Chantal Cousineau on California's new sexual harassment laws; New Yorker magazine cartoonist Liana Finck.

The primary lyricist for Los Lobos is also a visual artist and he has paired his lyrics and drawings and paintings in a new book, "Good Morning Aztlán"; Sarah Jones' "Sell/Buy/Date" is a one-woman play with many views of the sex industry.

The iconic L.A. artist leads John Horn on a tour of his vast workspace and talks about his past and current work; media scholar Robert Thompson talks about the historic nature of Judge Brett Kavanaugh's televised confirmation hearings; Cuban pianist Dayramir Gonzalez is a rising star in jazz.