Top Picks: 'My Old Lady' on DVD and Blu-ray, Chuck Prophet's album 'Night Surfer,' and more

The series 'A Path Appears' shows celebrity activists exploring topics like teen mothers and child slavery, photographer Amos Chapple's series shows how the residents of frigid Yakutsk, Russia go about their day, and more top picks.

Rockin’ Under the radar

San Francisco’s Chuck Prophet is one of those artists that makes you shake your head and wonder, “Why isn’t he the biggest rock star in the world?” He’s got the songs, the hooks, the swagger, and that voice – iconic, ironic, and every bit as commanding as Dylan’s, Petty’s, or Jagger’s. Take a listen to his latest album, Night Surfer, and get in on rock ’n’ roll’s best-kept secret. 

Parisian charm

With My Old Lady, director Israel Horovitz adapts his play of the same name for the screen. Kevin Kline stars as Mathias Gold, who inherits a Paris apartment unaware that it’s still occupied by a 92-year-old Englishwoman, Mathilde (Maggie Smith), and her daughter. According to French law, Mathilde can stay put and collect monthly payments from Mathias until her death. It’s out on DVD and Blu-ray Jan. 27. 

Colder than you are

Think you have it bad with freezing January temperatures? Meet the residents of Yakutsk, Russia, which is often called the coldest city in the world. There, temperatures have already dropped to minus 50 degrees F. Photographer Amos Chapple’s series captures the locals going about their day swathed in fur against beautiful snow-covered vistas. Bundle up and check out his cool photo gallery at http://bit.ly/yakutskcold.

Actors on the Bard

Who better to teach about Shakespeare than the actors who love him? In the PBS series Shakespeare Uncovered, renowned actors who have taken on some of the best-known roles from the Bard discuss the plays, delving into the history of each work. In the first installments, “Downton Abbey” actor Hugh Bonneville explores “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and Oscar winner Christopher Plummer looks at “King Lear.” It premières Jan. 30 at 9 p.m. Check local broadcast listings. 

On the road with Kristof

In A Path Appears, writers Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, as well as celebrity activists such as Jennifer Garner and Mia Farrow, explore such topics as teen mothers and child slavery. Although viewers should be aware of graphic content, the three-part series, which debuts on PBS’s “Independent Lens” on Jan. 26 at 10 p.m., has a heartening message as it highlights efforts to improve lives. The series concludes Feb. 9.