Some serious stuff this week, from a sci-fi movie looking at a devastated Earth to Quentin Tarantino's Oscar-winning slavery movie to a new look at a political scandal.

TUESDAY: 'Django Unchained' on home video
Quentin Tarantino has won two best screenplay Oscars, one for the legendary "Pulp Fiction" and one for "Django Unchained." The controversial "Django" comes to home video this week, and whether you want to see what all the fuss is about or need to see it again, now's the time. Christoph Waltz won the Oscar for best supporting actor for his role as Dr. King Schultz, a German-born bounty hunter who teams up with the slave Django (Jamie Foxx). The two set out to bring in numerous wanted men while searching for Django's sold-away wife (Kerry Washington). The film's filled with Tarantino's legendary action, extreme violence and snappy dialogue -- it's not for everyone, but there's no denying its impact. (On home video April 16.)

FRIDAY: 'Oblivion'
The first of three devastated Earth films opens this week. In "Oblivon," Tom Cruise stars as a drone mechanic who believes he's helping to scrape the final resources from an abandoned planet. But when he finds a woman in a crashed spaceship and is kidnapped by a team led by Morgan Freeman, he learns that he's been working under false premises all along, and may have no real idea what's going on in his world. Cruise has re-established himself as a believable action hero thanks to "Mission: Impossible" and "Jack Reacher," and this plot is intriguing. (Opens April 19.)

SUNDAY: 'All the President's Men Revisited'
The Watergate scandal that led to President Richard M. Nixon resigning was 40 years ago, and the landmark movie, "All the President's Men," came out in 1976. Now Robert Redford, who played Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in the film, has taken another look at that dramatic moment in American history with "All the President's Men Revisited." Redford's co-star, Dustin Hoffman, as well as the real Woodward and partner Carl Bernstein, are in the new film, along with Jon Stewart, Rachel Maddow and others. (April 21, 8 p.m., Discovery Channel)

Related content:

• 'Django Unchained' pulled from Chinese theaters
• 'Oblivion' just one of three similar sci-fi movies to come

It's a week for remembering -- remembering Jackie Robinson in the new biopic "42," remembering the importance of the 1980s in a National Geographic special, and remembering the movies of the past year at the MTV Movie Awards.

FRIDAY: '42'
The memorable life of baseball player Jackie Robinson was told in 1950's "Jackie Robinson Story," just three years after he broke the sport's color line with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In that movie, Robinson played himself, but in the new film "42," opening Friday, actor Chadwick Boseman will take on the role. Harrison Ford plays Branch Rickey, the Dodgers president and GM who signed Robinson, and Christopher Meloni is manager Leo Durocher, who famously told the other players that if they objected to Robinson, he'd see that they were traded. Play ball! (Opens April 5.)

SUNDAY: MTV Movie Awards
Sure, the MTV Movie Awards are no Academy Awards -- the gold and black popcorn trophy is nowhere as prestigious as Oscar. But they're fun to watch nonetheless. Where else would you see categories like "best scared as (expletive) performance," or "summer's biggest teen bad (expletive)"? Comedian and actress Rebel Wilson hosts, which should make for a lively night.

SUNDAY: 'The '80s: The Decade That Made Us'
The 1980s weren't all Rubik's Cubes and Pac-Man. The decade spawned a technological and cultural revolution that still affects us all today. Brat Packer Rob Lowe hosts a three-night look at the era that examines its politics, entertainment, cultural changes and more.  (April 14, 8 p.m., National Geographic Channel.)

Related content:

• Video: Harrison Ford discusses '42'
• Slideshow: Lost toys, tastes and trends of '70s and '80s

Be they demons, advertising executives, or dinosaurs -- or all of the above -- a batch of familiar faces are back again this week. Here's our pick for the three best entertainment offerings of the week ahead.

Frank Ockenfels / AMC

"Mad Men" returns for its second-to-last season.

FRIDAY: 'Evil Dead'
The original "Evil Dead" film series has some of the scariest scenes in horror-film history. Yes, you always knew there was a reason to avoid creepy cellars in isolated cabins -- but maybe you never knew how scary tree branches could be. Original director Sam Raimi and star Bruce Campbell served as producers, and Oscar-winning "Juno" screenwriter Diablo Cody reportedly helped tweak the script. Variety calls the result, "The rare remake that likely will be enjoyed most by diehard fans of its predecessor." (Opens April 5.)

FRIDAY: 'Jurassic Park 3-D'
"Jurassic Park" is a great movie by itself, but we have high hopes for the 3-D version, which hits theaters this week to celebrate the film's 20th anniversary. Sure, going back to an already filmed movie and adding the extra dimension doesn't always work out, but we can't think of a film we'd more like to see it tried upon than this one. The raptors, the T-rex, the chilling hide-and-seek in the theme park's kitchen! Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. (Opens April 5.)

SUNDAY: 'Mad Men'
It's about time season six of "Mad Men" rolled around. It's 1967 -- or it was when we left off -- a tumultous time in the nation, and surely for our characters as well. The cast must continue to deal with the fallour from Lane's suicide, and Don and Megan grapple with issues in their own marriage as her career begins to rise.  Showrunner Matthew Weiner isn't revealing much about what's coming, but he did promise the new season will bring "a lot of insight into Don, a new dynamic, and people striving to grow up. (Premieres April 7, 9 p.m., AMC.)

Related content:

• Sneak peek at season 6 of 'Mad Men'
• 'Evil Dead' tree scene among most disturbing
• Scariest scenes from 'Jurassic Park'

It's a good week for TV watchers, with both "The Voice" and "Game of Thrones" returning to the small screen. And if you liked "Twilight," you might want to check out the new movie based on a novel by "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer, even if it's vampire-free.

MONDAY: 'The Voice'
"The Voice" returns for a fourth season with its first big judge shakeup. Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilera? Out, at least for now. Usher and Shakira? In! The two single-name singing superstars will join fellow judges Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. They'll get help from battle-round advisers Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum, Sheryl Crow, Pharrell Williams and Joel Madden. (March 25, 8 p.m., NBC.)

SUNDAY: 'Game of Thrones'
Winter is coming! Again! Still! "Game of Thrones" fans have been waiting a long time for the third season of the HBO fantasy drama, and we're finally heading back to Westeros. This season is loosely based on the first half of the third book in the series, "A Storm of Swords." New characters will include Mance Rayder, the King-beyond-the-Wall; Unsullied eunuch captain Grey Worm; Catelyn's uncle Brynden Tully, the Blackfish, and more. (March 31, 9 p.m., HBO.)

FRIDAY: 'The Host'
Any movie with Stephenie Meyer's name on it has to be taken seriously after her huge worldwide hit with the "Twilight" series. "The Host," based on another book by Meyer, takes a completely different tack. Instead of vampires, it focuses on alien invaders who have been taking over the minds of humans. One human, Melanie (Saoirse Ronan) refuses to give in to the alien, and they form an emotional connection. Wow, that might be even harder to explain than the whole Team Edward-Team Jacob thing. (Opens March 29.)

Related content:

• 'Game of Thrones' gets schooled in new parody
• We'd quit 'Thrones' if Tyrion left the show
• 'Thrones' season preview promises chaos

There's a little bit of everything this week in entertainment. Steve Carell has a new movie, "The Bachelor" wraps up another season, and the biggest winner at the Oscars comes to home video.

Warner Bros.

Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde and Steve Carell star in "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone."

MONDAY: 'Bachelor' finale
Ready for two hours of lead-up to a five-second possible proposal? In the season finale, "Bachelor" star Sean Lowe will choose between Catherine, the graphic designer from Seattle, and Lindsay, the teacher and general's daughter from North Carolina. Many viewers feel the real drama went out of the show when this season's mean girl, Tierra, left the show. And some still feel Sean made a mistake by not choosing AshLee, who complained on the recent reunion that she felt blindsided and lied to. There are already rumors out there as to who Sean picks and what happens next, but we won't spoil things here. Tune in if you need to know. (March 11, 8 p.m., ABC.)

TUESDAY: 'Life of Pi'
Best-picture winner "Argo" garnered all the headlines, but it was "Life of Pi" that won the most Academy Awards at last month's Oscars. The film, based on Yann Martel's best-selling book, won four awards -- Ang Lee won for best director, and the film won cinematography, original score and visual effects honors. If you missed the Oscar-winner in theaters, it's now coming to home video. Roger Ebert raved over the film, calling it "a miraculous achievement of storytelling and a landmark of visual mastery." (On DVD and blu-Ray March 12.)

FRIDAY: 'Incredible Burt Wonderstone'
Two Steves, Carell and Buscemi, team up for "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," which comes to theaters this week. They play a famed Vegas magician team who now hate each other, and yet must step up their showmanship to beat an up-and-coming challenger played by Jim Carrey. The one-upmanship gets pretty intense -- Carrey tries to spend a night sleeping on hot coals or attempts to pound a nail in with his forehead, Carell and Buscemi attempt to spend a week dangling inside a glass box. Olivia Wilde and Alan Arkin co-star. (Opens March 15.)

Related content:

• 'Life of Pi' wins big on Oscar night
• See 'Wonderstone' star Wilde's sexy showgirl picture
• 'Bachelor's' Tierra: I didn't do anything wrong

The Oscars are over, and so are the January-February new-release doldrums. Good films are starting to roll out again, including James Franco as the Wizard in "Oz the Great and Powerful." Here's a look at our three top entertainment picks for the week ahead.

TUESDAY: 'American Idol' goes live
The "American Idol" auditions are always crazy, but the show really kicks into gear when the live episodes begin this week. The show's narrowed its talent pool to 20, 10 men and 10 women, and will cut that group in half by Thursday. On Tuesday, the women will show their stuff, and on Wednesday, the guys -- whether or not they all deserve it -- get a chance. (March 5-7, 8 p.m. each night, Fox.)

TUESDAY: 'Wreck-It Ralph' on home video
Parents with fond memories of early video arcades and games can bond with their tech-generation kids this week when "Wreck-It Ralph" comes out on DVD and blu-Ray. In this charming animated film, John C. Reilly voices a video-game bad guy who's tired of being the villain. When he goes "game jumping" and ends up in a candy-themed race game, he bonds with little Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) and learns that his game role isn't what really matters. (On home video March 5.)

FRIDAY: "Oz the Great and Powerful"
The Wizard himself got short shrift in "The Wizard of Oz," which played him off as a kind of dumpy little dude behind a curtain. In this new take on L. Frank Baum's classic, James Franco plays a Kansas magician who takes a hot-air balloon into the magical land, meets its witches and Munchkins, and discovers the people of the troubled land need him to become someone else in order to save them. (Opens March 8.)

Related content:

• 'Wreck-It Ralph' spins up some controversy
• Did all 10 male singers deserve to be in 'Idol' top 20?
• Zoanette beats 'Idol's' Sudden Death round

All the other awards shows have been leading up to this one. The Academy Awards are coming, and they're the one bright spot in a dull entertainment week. You can prepare for the show by watching the film that might just win best picture, "Argo," which hits home video this week. And if you prefer your history a little older and more fantastical, the second season of "Game of Thrones" is also coming to home video.

Warner Bros., DreamWorks, Univer

"Argo," "Lincoln," "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Les Miserables" are all Oscar contenders.

TUESDAY: 'Argo' on home video
Even before it started snatching up all the film awards, "Argo" was garnering great word-of-mouth and excellent critical reviews. No American who was alive in 1979 could not know about the Iranian hostage crisis, but somehow, "Argo" picked up on a dramatic sidebar -- the rescue of six embassy employees who had snuck out of their workplace and hid in the Canadian ambassador's home. The tale is slightly fictionalized, but it's a fascinating tale, with John Goodman and Alan Arkin delivering memorable performances as the moviemakers who help out CIA agent Ben Affleck. And yes, Affleck got robbed when he wasn't nominated for a best director Oscar. (Out on home video Feb. 19.)

TUESDAY: 'Game of Thrones' season two on home video
Need to catch up on the hit HBO fantasy series before it returns on March 31? Scoop up the DVD set this week and fall back into the world of Westeros. The Lannisters and Daenerys are back, of course, with plenty of new characters introduced in the second season, including Stannis Baratheon, Melisandre, Craster, Gilly and the fan favorite, Brienne of Tarth. (Out on home video Feb. 19.)

SUNDAY: Academy Awards
Here we are, movie fans. The night of the year. Forget all the awards shows that have come before, this is the Big Kahuna. We all know Ben Affleck was snubbed in the director category, but will his film, "Argo," steal best picture from "Lincoln"? Can young upstart and "Silver Linings Playbook" star Jennifer Lawrence take home the best actress honor so many thought belonged to Jessica Chastain for "Zero Dark Thirty"? Can anyone stop Anne Hathaway and Daniel Day-Lewis? And how will Seth MacFarlane of "Family Guy" fame do as host? Pop the popcorn and the champagne, make your Oscar pool picks and settle in. (Feb. 24, 7 p.m. ET, ABC.)

Related content:

• 'Argo' wins best film at BAFTAs
• Golden Globe winners shake up Oscar race
• 'Game of Thrones' preview promises chaos

Happy Valentine's Day, dear ... let's spend a romantic night seeing "Die Hard 5." Bruce Willis' beloved action hero John McClane is back just in time for everyone's favorite pink-hearts and lace day. Also returning this week: Reailty shows "Survivor" and "Amazing Race."

WEDNESDAY: 'Survivor'
Say this for "Survivor": It gives America a good geography lesson. This season is called "Survivor: Caramoan," referring to its filming location, a peninsula in the Philippines where both the previous season, "Survivor: Philippines" and this coming season were filmed. This is the "Fans vs. Favorites" season, with 10 returning players taking on 10 new faces -- one of whom is such a fan that she named her son "Colby" after season two runner-up Colby Donaldson. Among the more entertaining returnees: Malcolm Freberg, John Cochran and Erik Reichenbach. Sadly, "Facts of Life" star Lisa Whelchel, a mom, couldn't be away from her family for two back-to-back seasons. (Feb. 13, 8 p.m., CBS.) 

THURSDAY: 'A Good Day to Die Hard'
Sure, you could spend Valentine's Day at a fancy fondue restaurant feeding each other bread and cheese, or snuggled up at home watching "The Notebook." But come on, people! "A Good Day to Die Hard," aka "Die Hard 5," is opening on Valentine's Day -- even though it's a Thursday and not your typical movie-opening Friday. It's like a sign from the love gods. Take your date and see Bruce Willis' John McClane character team up with his adult son (Jai Courtney) as they smash up the streets of Russia as only they can. Yippee-ki-yay, Mother Cupid! (Opens Feb. 14.)

SUNDAY: 'The Amazing Race'
Yes, "Survivor's" not the only competition reality show rolling out a new season this week. "The Amazing Race" will also hit the road with 11 new two-person teams. This season includes hockey players, roller derby moms, cancer survivors, country singers and a pair of twin doctors.  (Feb. 17, 8 p.m., CBS.) 

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• February's a good month to 'Die Hard'
• Up, up and away with superhero movies

January was a dull month as far as entertainment goes, but this week roars back with the Grammy Awards, the return of "The Walking Dead," and an intriguing new movie, "Side Effects."

Getty Images file

LL Cool J returns to host the Grammy Awards for the second time.

FRIDAY: 'Side Effects'
Medication is an undeniable part of our world now, but in the new movie "Side Effects," it may be more of a problem than a help. Rooney Mara plays a young woman dealing with an anxiety disorder who suddenly finds a dead body in her home. Did the side effects of her medication turn her into a murderer? (Opens Feb. 8.)

SUNDAY: Grammys
Even if you hate awards shows, there's something appealing about the Grammys. Blended in with the typical speeches and other ceremonial bits, there's plenty of great music. This year's performers include Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Elton John and fun. LL Cool J returns as host. 

SUNDAY: 'Walking Dead' returns
The zombies aren't the worst foes out there on "The Walking Dead." The Governor is one evil dude, as if you couldn't tell from the heads he keeps in jars or the gladiator fights he stages. As the show returns after an end-of-year break, Rick and crew and The Governor are about to throw down. (Feb. 10, 9 p.m., AMC.)

Related content:

• 'Walking Dead' showdown: Rick vs. The Governor

Larry Hagman's J.R. Ewing made an indelible mark on television history. His final episodes on the new version of "Dallas" start this week. More familiar faces: Keri Russell has a new show, and Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Alan Arkin have a new movie.

Slideshow: Larry Hagman: 1931-2012

Hulton Archive / Getty Images

Launch slideshow

MONDAY: 'Dallas' returns
J.R. Ewing was one of television's most captivating villains on the original run of "Dallas," and he was the reason the show's return in 2012 was so well-received. The cowboy hat-wearing oil baron was conniving and charming, and it's impossible to imagine anyone but Larry Hagman playing him. Now that Hagman has died, the show must bid farewell to J.R. in a deserving manner. He couldn't ever be recast. The cast and crew of the new "Dallas" have promised to make his on-screen funeral one to remember. Happy trails, J.R. ("Dallas" returns with the first of Hagman's final two episodes Jan. 28, 9 p.m., TNT.)

WEDNESDAY: 'The Americans'
FX's new show, "The Americans," has a delightfully creepy, if dated, premise. Back in the 1980s, the KGB has settled a bunch of its agents in the U.S. as sleeper agents, even with unsuspecting families. Keri Russell (hi, Felicity!) and Matthew Rhys are a spy couple with kids who don't suspect Mom and Dad are Reds. USA! USA! (Premieres Jan. 30, 10 p.m., FX.)

FRIDAY: 'Stand Up Guys'
They're senior-citizen criminals, geezer gangsters. In "Stand Up Guys," Al Pacino and Christopher Walken play old buddies in crime who team up once Pacino gets out of prison, and also meet up with their former getaway driver, Alan Arkin. Reviews are mixed -- some critics think it's an unfunny slog of Viagra jokes -- but those are three veteran stars who command attention. (Opens Feb. 1.)

Related content:

• 'Dallas' to say goodbye to J.R. with a funeral
• Larry Hagman dies at 81
• Slideshow: 'Dallas' stars, then and now

A creepy new TV series, engrossing police drama and yet another red-carpet awards show are our picks for the best in entertainment this week.

MONDAY: 'The Following'
The trailer for "The Following" makes the new FOX drama look like a big-screen movie. It stars Kevin Bacon, a major name in his own right, and the plot will remind you of a good old-fashioned action-horror movie, where one retired FBI agent returns to hunt down the serial killer he caught once before. Bacon plays the agent, Ryan Hardy, and James Purefoy plays Joe Carroll, the murderous college professor whose creepy Manson-like followers are willing to take over the killing for him. (Premieres Jan. 21, 9 p.m., FOX.)

TUESDAY: 'End of Watch' on home video
Jake Gyllenhaal read the "End of Watch" script in an hour and immediately declared he wanted to star in it, reports Collider.com.  Gyllenhaal plays Officer Brian Taylor in the indie cop drama, with Michael Pena as his partner, Mike Zavala. The two run afoul of a Mexican drug cartel in Los Angeles and soon find themselves in a tangled situation they can't escape. Roger Ebert called it "one of the best police movies in recent years." (On DVD and Blu-ray Jan. 22.)

SUNDAY: Screen Actors Guild Awards
Yes, all these awards shows are just warm-ups for the granddaddy of them all, the Academy Awards on Feb. 24. But all of them offer their own share of glitzy gowns, heart-warming or stumbly speeches and deserving winners, plus those who got robbed.  Like the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards cover both movies and television. On the movies side, "Lincoln," "Silver Linings Playbook" and "Les Miserables" lead all nominees with four apiece. The only television show to match that number is "Modern Family." Dick Van Dyke will receive the organization's life achievement award. Somehow we don't think his acceptance speech will make headlines in quite the way Jodie Foster's did. (Jan. 27, 8 p.m., TNT and TBS.)

Related content:

• Creator says 'Following' is a 'horrific, scary show'
• 'Lincoln,' 'Les Mis' top Screen Actors Guild nominations
• Affleck, Argo, 'Les Mis' have Golden night at the Globes

Get ready for some bad singing, outrageous personalities, and in-between all that, possibly a new musical sensation. "American Idol" returns this week, with the first crazy audition shows. Also: Two more familiar faces are back, as TV viewers meet a young Carrie Bradshaw in the "Sex and the City" high-school prequel series, and Arnold Schwarzenegger muscles back into theaters with "The Last Stand."

Fox

"American Idol" returns this week.

MONDAY: 'The Carrie Diaries'
What would Carrie Bradshaw of "Sex and the City" have been like in high school? A new series, "The Carrie Diaries," tackles that question. AnnaSophia Robb, of "Soul Surfer" and other movies, will play a teenage Carrie in this CW prequel. In the premiere, Carrie, who has lost her mother, must deal with an overprotective dad and an internship at a Manhattan law firm. Do juniors in high school really get internships at Manhattan law firms? Anyway, we love the 1984 fashions in the preview. (Premieres Jan. 14, 8 p.m., the CW.)

WEDNESDAY: 'American Idol'
Ryan Seacrest brags that the upcoming season of "American Idol" will be its "best season yet." Yeah, seems like we've heard that before, but mixed in with the forgotten winners (where's Taylor Hicks today?), the show has produced enough real powerhouses (Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson) to make us tune in at least through the zany, chicken-suited auditioners to see if Seacrest can fulfill his promise. Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban are the judges. This year, the show tried to give small-town singers who might not be able to make it to a big city to audition a shot by taking a bus tour of smaller towns. And the new "Nominate an Idol" twist let family and friends secretly submit their favorite young singers for consideration. (Premieres Jan. 16, 8 p.m., FOX.)

FRIDAY: 'The Last Stand'
Arnold Schwarzenegger is done governing, folks, and he's back to the career for which we know him best -- acting. The Terminator stars in "The Last Stand" as a failed small-town sheriff who must step up when he learns a drug kingpin is zooming towards his border town. Somehow we have trouble picturing Arnold as a failed anything, and have only sympathy for the kingpin (played by Spanish actor Eduardo Noriega). Johnny Knoxville of "Jackass" co-stars. (Opens Jan. 18.) 

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• Mariah Carey avoids question about Nicki Minaj
• See Schwarzenegger's dorky haircut, fake tattoos
• Schwarzenegger says Hollywood not responsible for shootings