James Avery Movies

When the traditionally minded pastor of a fundamentalist Baptist church suffers a debilitating stroke, the energetic young preacher brought in as a temporary replacement draws the ire of both his ailing predecessor and the jealous deacon who seeks to sabotage the stylish but sincere clergyman's career. Reverend Robert Gibbs has a decidedly unconventional means of preaching the gospel, so when he is recruited to stand-in for the debilitated Reverend Matthews during the latter's convalescence the congregation is at first somewhat taken aback. Eventually, however, the congregation warms to their new pastor, gradually embracing his hip style of preaching. As attendance at the California-based church begins to perk up, Reverend Gibbs makes the acquaintance of a pretty local teacher named Divine who lost her faith after losing her mother to cancer. Later, as Reverend Gibbs does his best to help restore the woman's faith, he discovers that she is in fact the daughter of the disapproving Reverend Matthews. When it begins to look as if Reverend Matthews may not be able to return to his post after all, the scheming Deacon Wells digs deep into Reverend Gibbs' past on a mission to prevent him from both becoming the permanent pastor and winning the heart of the lovely Divine. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A lost piece of history merges with the marvel of modern marine expeditions, intense archeological arguments, and the issue of race relations in contemporary America as an expedition is launched to recover a pirate Spanish slave ship that was sunken off the coast of Florida in 1827. Pursued by a British warship and sunken just off the coast of Florida, the Guerrero served as the catalyst for an intense three year saga involving five nations when it drifted beneath the ocean surface. Now, nearly two centuries later, the search for a obscure and forgotten historical relic prompts modern-day explorers to ponder what implications this ship's history has for a country that has always struggled with the issue of race. Coinciding with both America's 200th anniversary of Abolitionism and the United Nation's 2004 International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition, this discovery of the Guerrero raises numerous questions that may just be the key to understanding the mistakes of the past and ensuring that those mistakes will never be committed again. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Previously portrayed in films and on TV by the likes of Bonita Granville, Janet Julian, Pamela Sue Martin, and Tracy Ryan, author Carolyn Keene's intrepid, teenaged sleuth Nancy Drew is again brought to life in the person of Maggie Lawson. Now enrolled at River Heights University with her longtime friends and fellow "detectives" Bess (Jill Ritchie) and George (Lauren Birkell), the level-headed, no-nonsense Nancy hopes to achieve academic nirvana by being accepted to the prestigious Tri Pi fraternity. Things take a sinister turn when Tri Pi's reigning "queen" Allison Price (Sabine Singh) is accused of causing the drug overdose that has put her football-hero boyfriend in a coma. As usual, Nancy suspects that the case isn't quite as cut-and-dried as it seems, and with the assistance of her aforementioned girl friends -- not to mention her erstwhile beau Ned Nickerson (Nick Stabile) -- our heroine snoops around long enough to uncover a sinister campus-wide conspiracy. Adult authority is represented in the form of Nancy's long-suffering attorney dad Carson Drew (Brett Cullen) and her overbearing, condescending journalism teacher Professor Shifflin (James Avery). First broadcast as an episode of the ABC anthology The Wonderful World of Disney on December 15, 2002, Nancy Drew was rather blatantly designed as the pilot for a potential weekly series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Viewers are given the chance to watch a bullfight and see how the wild fans react to the action in the ring. Other colorful moments include a side trip to Seville for flamenco lessons and a journey to Segovia, where a number of beautiful castles are visited. Also visits the Reina Sofia Museum and see some of the many shops that tourists can't seem to resist. Learn more about the busy and exciting nightlife in Madrid and see where some of the wealthiest travelers stay when visiting this country. Discover what types of unique dishes and meals are likely to appear in various restaurants. Host James Avery follows a New York couple as they make their first trip to Madrid and many other scenic parts of Spain.
~ Elizabeth Smith, Rovi

This episode of the popular PBS series travels to Bali, a tropical island within the confines of Indonesia. In the course of the tape, viewers visit an ancient temple, watch a religious ceremony atop an active volcano and visit famous beaches and forests. Like other episodes, this video is a perfect introduction for those thinking of traveling to the locale. ~ Rob Ferrier, Rovi

During a flight to Vegas, an obnoxious and obstreperous first-class passenger dies mysteriously. Everyone on board the plane has a slightly different version of the incident, and some of them appear to be hiding something. Grissom (William L. Petersen) comes across evidence that the victim was murdered, and intends to use all the resources of the CSI unit to verify his suspicions. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A millionaire's death leaves a dog and a pet psychic rolling in dough while the deceased's relatives are left to figure out how to get the money for themselves. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

There are many different kinds destinations one can visit after arriving in Ireland, depending on whether an adventure is sought or if sampling the local cuisine and liquid refreshment is more on the agenda. In Going Places: Ireland, viewers can tour the Guinness Brewery, or visit local pubs where glasses of stout can be enjoyed along with traditional Irish music. For golf devotees, a visit to Ballbunion's golf course is a must. Digging in peat bogs can work up an appetite and Moran's in Galway is the place for fresh oysters. ~ Alice Day, Rovi

In this made-for-TV movie inspired by the popular series Hart to Hart, jet-setting Jennifer and Jonathan Hart (Stephanie Powers and Robert Wagner) are attending a party for a successful publisher on his private island resort. Jennifer happens to overhear two men discussing a murder they plan to commit -- and their intended victim appears to be Jonathan. Suddenly the Harts have to find out why Jonathan has become a marked man while staying out of harm's way as they track the killers. Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die also stars Mike Farrell and Paul Williams. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Although the fourth season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was planned as the series' last year on the air, the producers managed to forge a new contract with ABC assuring that Will Smith (as teenager Will Smith) and his co-stars would be reporting to duty for season five. The basic "culture clash" premise with streetwise Philadelphia native Will Smith moving in with his wealthy relatives, the Banks family in Bel-Air, CA, was still in place, but a few changes were made for the series' fifth go-round. Gone are two holdovers from Will's Philadelphia days, his buddy Jazz (played by actor Smith's real-life musical partner Jeff Townes) and his off-and-on girlfriend Jackie (Tyra Banks); the latter character is more or less replaced by Will's new heartthrob Lisa (Nia Long), who almost -- but not quite -- marched down the matrimonial aisle with our hero at season's end. In another development, Will's cousin Ashley Banks (Tatyana M. Ali) launches a career as a singer with Will as her manager; and the baby of the Banks family, little Nicholas (Ross Bagley), turns five years old -- even though he had been "born" only a year and a half before! Highlights of season five include the ever-growing confidence of Will's prissy cousin Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) in the romance department; an effort by Carlton, Ashley, and their sister Hilary (Karyn Parsons) to sneak a peak at their father Philip's (James Avery) will; and a chilling episode in which Will is shot and wounded by a would-be robber. And, in keeping with the precedent established in season four, season five of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is top-heavy with guest stars. This year's celebrity roster includes the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Don Cornelius, Jay Leno, Pat Morita, Ken Griffey Jr., John Amos, Isaac Hayes, Robin Givens, and Sherman Hemsley...as George Jefferson! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The big news during The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's fourth season is the arrival of new cast member Daphne Maxwell Reid, replacing Janet Hubert-Whitten in the role of Vivian Banks, the wealthy but down-to-earth aunt of wise-guy West Philly transplant Will Smith (Will Smith). Otherwise, the rest of the main cast is pretty much the same, with Will continuing to enrich and sometimes complicate the lives of his rich Bel-Air relatives, including Vivian's lawyer husband Philip (James Avery), their mild-mannered son Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro), their trend-conscious daughters, Hilary (Karyn Parsons) and Ashley (Tatyana M. Ali), and their new baby son Nicholas (who would grow up real fast within the next year or so). Also on hand, as ever, is the Banks family's devastatingly sardonic butler Geoffrey (Joseph Marcell). It is during this season that Will and Carlton graduate from high school and begin attending the University of Los Angeles. To celebrate their "independence," the boys move into their new pad -- which turns out to be the pool house on the Banks family's Bel-Air estate. In another development, Will is reunited with his ex-girlfriend from West Philadelphia, Jackie Ames (Tyra Banks). An unusually high number of guest stars grace this season. Among them are Hugh Hefner in the episode "Fresh Prince After Dark," Branford Marsalis in "Sleepless in Bel-Air" and "Stop Will in the Name of Love," Robert Guillaume in "You'd Better Shop Around," Pam Grier in "M Is for the Many Things She Gave Me," Ben Vereen (as Will's long-missing father) in "Papa's Got a Brand-New Excuse," Donald Trump in "For Sale By Owner," and Dick Clark in "The Philadelphia Story." Though the last-named episode was originally intended as the series finale with Will leaving Bel-Air and returning home to Philadelphia, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was renewed for a fifth season at the very last moment. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The producers of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air weren't about to tinker with a successful format as the series entered its third season. Although West Philadelphia teenager Will Smith (played, of course, by Will Smith) has been living with his wealthy relatives in Bel-Air for three years now, he still hasn't lost his streetwise flippancy, though he does begin evincing signs of burgeoning maturity and responsibility. In the same fashion, Will's host, the Banks family, continues putting on airs and currying favor with the Bel-Air elite, though they generally get their heads out of the clouds and return to earth at the end of each episode. The most signifcant change from seasons past is the pregnancy of Will's Aunt Vivian, a plot development created to accommodate the real-life pregnancy of actress Janet Hubert-Whitten. By the end of season three, Vivian has given birth to a son named Nicholas -- whereupon she virtually disappears from view, reportedly because of creative differences between Janet Hubert-Whitten and Will Smith.
The actress left the show at the end of the year and would be replaced by Daphne Reed Maxwell for the 1994-1995 season. In this season's opener, Will returns from a summer visit to his mom in West Philly with a new haircut and flamboyant wardrobe that appalls his stuffy lawyer uncle Philip Banks (James Avery), leading to the first of several obligatory "Let's stop arguing and compromise" moments. Later highlights included Philip and Vivian's not-so-sentimental journey to their old neighborhood, which had been all but levelled during the L.A. riots; the matriculation of the Banks' youngest daughter Ashley (Tatyana M. Ali) into the newly co-ed Bel-Air Prep School; older daughter Hilary's (Karyn Parsons) new job as a TV weather girl; former Jeffersons star Sherman Hemsley's appearance as Judge Carl Robertson, against whom Philip Banks would enter into a bitterly fought political battle; another guest-star turn, this one by no less than Oprah Winfrey; and the ongoing romantic tribulations of Will's prissy, preppy cousin Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro). In one of the season's final episodes, Will gets the opportunity to perform at a comedy club -- where among the other participants is future sitcom leading man D.L. Hughley. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air enjoyed its highest-ever ratings during season three, ending up the 16th most watched program on network television. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi