Weekend Adviser

March is going out like a lion—entertainment wise.

March Madness continues to build with the Elite 8 round this weekend. After Sunday, only four teams will remain standing. Ironically—for an event advertised as March Madness—the semifinals and championship game will be played in April. That seems to be the rule in sports anymore: seasons expand until they're out-of-season. Hockey in June. Baseball in November. Football in February. Who knew?

With fewer hours of basketball action this weekend and baseball's return still a week away, there's more time for other things this weekend. If you missed last Saturday's release of the "Twilight" DVD and you dig teenage vampires, maybe now's the time to check it out. On the other hand, if you're from Mars, there's the latest in the James Bond franchise, "Quantum of Solace," newly-released on DVD. It's the second—following "Casino Royale"—to star Daniel Craig as the iconic spy in the early stages of his career as a double-O and continues to take the franchise in a darker, and more realistic, direction.

For those with lots of time on their hands and few responsibilities, CBS has just released the eighth season of its hit series J.A.G. J.A.G., of course, is the Judge Advocate General branch and is the military's legal eagles. Each of the three services has its J.A.G. branch, but these are Navy lawyers. The lawyers include Navy Cmdr. Harm Rabb (David James Elliot), a former fighter pilot turned lawyer, and Marine Lt. Col. Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie (Catherine Bell). (The Marine Corps, of course, is not a separate branch of the military but part of the Navy.) The eighth season (2002-2003) features cases involving murder, treason, and terrorism. If you've got eighteen spare hours this weekend, maybe there's a J.A.G. marathon in your future.

I've already set aside a couple hours Sunday evening for the premiere of HBO's newest series: "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency." Based on a delightful set of mysteries by British writer Alexander McCall Smith—nine so far including the latest, Tea Time for the Traditionally Built—the series follows the exploits of Botswana's very first (and only) female private detective, Mma Ramotswe (played here by American singer/actress Jill Scott). Mma is an unconventional detective, relying on observation and intuition to solve cases instead of cynical bravado. Mma is assisted by her prim secretary Mma Makutsi (Anika Noni Rose) and encouraged by her friend (later husband) Mr. Matekone (Lucian Msamati), the owner of Speedy Motors. With unique (and lovable) characters, eccentric mysteries, and an exotic setting, I suspect this will be must-see TV. For more, see here: http://www.hbo.com/no1ladiesdetectiveagency/ And, I'll have more on the HBO series and the books next week.

There's not much of note opening on the Big Screen this weekend. Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon lends her voice to the animated sci-fi flick "Monsters vs. Aliens," and there are two derivative thrillers: "The Haunting in Connecticut" and "12 Rounds." In "Monsters vs. Aliens," Witherspoon channels "Die Hard" hero John McClane in her role as a monster who battles aliens to save the planet. Take the kids. You might enjoy it too. I'd check the reviews before forking over eight bucks (or more) to see either of the thrillers.