The Culture

TELEVISION

Love, Actually

Until now, Aziz Ansari’s best-known comedy routines were probably his R. Kelly and Kanye West impressions. But in his new special, Aziz Ansari: Live at Madison Square Garden, streaming March 6 on Netflix, the Parks and Recreation vet gets a little more serious. “As a comedian I can talk about anything as long as I make it funny,” says Ansari, 32. “So it’s pretty cool if I can get people thinking about immigration or feminism or the food industry at my stand-up shows.” Besides taking on politics, Ansari gets introspective, reflecting on the state of love in the age of technology by reading aloud lucky audience members’ text-message exchanges with crushes.

MOVIES

Growing Up Robot

District 9 director Neill Blomkamp breaks from making movies about the apocalypse with the AI coming-of-age story Chappie, out March 6. A learning, feeling robot is the next step in evolution–until he’s kidnapped by thugs who corrupt his innocence with new directives.

MUSIC

Ring Pop

The Canadian duo Purity Ring returns with its signature mix of electro-pop and hip-hop on Another Eternity, out now. After creating their acclaimed debut largely over email, bandmates Megan James and Corin Roddick hit the studio together to record their new album.

TELEVISION

Peep Show

Norman Bates is approaching his destiny in the third season of Bates Motel, which premieres March 9 on A&E. In upcoming episodes of the creepy Psycho prequel, a young Norman stares through a peephole at a woman getting into the shower. Sound familiar?

SHE’S A TERRIFIC PHYSICAL COMIC AND CONTAGIOUSLY JOYOUS, AS IF LUCILLE BALL HAD A BABY WITH A RAINBOW.

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THE WEEK HELEN MIRREN HITS BROADWAY