The overriding theme defining television in recent years has been a fear of the new. Which is why reboots and spinoffs continue apace, with old titles brought back from the dead (“Scrubs”) or from the not-so-distant past (“The Night Manager”) and intellectual property milked within an inch of its life (somehow HBO has yet another “Game of Thrones” series coming our way).

It’s as if everyone in Hollywood ran out of new ideas all at once. Don’t blame writers, but executives who are rapidly shepherding their industry towards irrelevance with an over-reliance on reworked IP, while original ideas are left unproduced. In better news, the winter Olympic Games are this year, with the opening ceremony taking place Feb. 6 on NBC. (The Super Bowl is that Sunday as well.)

“The Pitt”

The Pittsburgh-set medical drama from “ER” showrunner John Wells is back for a second season, premiering almost exactly a year after it first debuted. Imagine, a streaming series returning on a reliable schedule! Dr. Robby (“ER” veteran Noah Wyle) is back once again, overseeing the managed chaos, student doctors and medical residents of his emergency department. One of the best examples of competency as comfort, something we could all use more of at the moment in real life. From Jan. 8 on HBO Max.

“The Night Manager”

Stylish and prestige-y as hell, Season 1 of this Tom Hiddleston spy drama premiered (squints) eight years ago. Welp, this is how TV works today. Season 2 follows Hiddleston’s character across the UK, Spain, Colombia and France as he “races to expose a conspiracy designed to destabilize a nation.” From Jan. 11 on Amazon. 

“Hijack”

The first season of this “Die Hard” ripoff starring Idris Elba took place on a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London. For the entirely unnecessary second season, the setting is now a subway in Berlin that’s been taken hostage. If Elba’s character doesn’t say “Why does this keep happening to me?!” at any point, then what are we even doing here? From Jan. 14 on Apple TV.  

“Ponies”

“Game of Thrones” alum Emilia Clarke stars in this 1977-set Cold War thriller about two women (the other is played by Haley Lu Richardson) who become CIA operatives after their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in Moscow. The pair become “ponies” in the parlance — persons of no interest — in order to uncover the truth of what really happened. From Jan. 15 on Peacock. 

“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”

Another “Game of Thrones” spinoff. A prequel, this one takes place a hundred years before the events of “GoT,” as two unlikely heroes wander through Westeros: “A young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.” From Jan. 18 on HBO. 

“Steal”

Here I am typing “Game of Thrones” again because the show’s alum Sophie Turner returns to TV in this thriller about a heist at a British pension fund investment company: “But who would steal billions of pounds of ordinary people’s pensions and why? DCI Rhys (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) is determined to find out, but as a recently relapsed gambling addict, Rhys must keep his own money problems at bay while dealing with the secret agendas and competing interests at the center of this far-reaching crime.” From Jan. 21 on Amazon.  

“Drops of God”

I really liked the first season of this emotionally engrossing drama about two young wine experts who battle for a massive inheritance. The series was also criminally underseen, likely because: 1) Apple’s approach to promotion leaves much to be desired; 2) there are no recognizable (American) stars; and 3) that title, which makes sense once you’ve seen the show, but otherwise … nope. It’s back for a second season and if you’ve been missing that frisson of discovery in your TV viewing, this one is worth seeking out. From Jan. 21 on Apple TV.  

“Bridgerton”

Not a fan of this show, but plenty are, so mark your calendars. The Shonda Rhimes historical romance returns for Season 4, with a focus on the family’s second-eldest son, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), who falls for a servant who sneaks into a masquerade ball. Netflix is chopping the season into two parts. From Jan. 29 on Netflix; the second half premieres Feb. 26.  

“Dark Winds”

This adaptation of Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels, with their stories of the Navajo Tribal Police in the 1970s, continues with a fourth season about a missing Navajo girl, which takes our investigators out of their usual setting and sends them to the underbelly of organized crime in Los Angeles. A tick or two better than your typical cop show, star Zahn McClarnon is reason enough to watch. From Feb. 15 on AMC.  

“Scrubs”

The medical comedy from the early aughts is back, reuniting the old gang: J.D. (Zach Braff), Turk (Donald Faison), Elliot (Sarah Chalke), Carla (Judy Reyes) and John C. McGinley’s memorably tangy Dr. Cox. New cast members include Vanessa Bayer and Joel Kim Booster. The premise appears to be the same as it was, picking up where the show left off. From Feb. 25 on ABC.

“Scarpetta”

A crime thriller based on Patricia Cornwell’s book series about the forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta, played by Nicole Kidman. According to the marketing blurb: “With skilled hands and an unnerving eye, this unrelenting medical examiner is determined to serve as the voice of the victims, unmask a serial killer, and prove that her career-making case from 28 years prior isn’t also her undoing. Set against the backdrop of modern forensic investigation, the series delves beyond the crime scene to explore the psychological complexities of both perpetrators and investigators, creating a multi-layered thriller that examines the toll of pursuing justice at all costs.” From March 11 on Amazon.  

By Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — Even with inflation, endless air travel complaints and the recent flight cancellations caused by the government shutdown, millions of Americans, including me, will begin their holiday celebrations on a plane. And while some are already making their packing lists, I am more concerned about what I should watch. In addition to getting you where you want to go, those hours spent in uncomfortable seats — first at the gate and then on board — are a guilt-free opportunity to catch up on or revisit great shows and films.

In-flight viewing is a specific, and sometimes unintentionally communal, viewing experience; not everything works. Choose tearjerkers and musicals with care. Ugly crying over “The Notebook” or singing along with “Wicked” might feel great, but it can cause your fellow passengers unnecessary consternation and/or annoyance.

If you are traveling with or seated near children, you should avoid hard-R-rated fare — as I discovered while briefly attempting to watch “Game of Thrones” while seated beside my then-young son, nudity and beheadings don’t need the sound on to be inappropriate.

Likewise, avoid anything that involves tragic or problematic air travel — catch up on the “Final Destination” franchise another time — and you also might want to skip full-attention-demanding subtitles. The perfect airplane watch allows you to immerse yourself while also remaining aware of what’s happening around you. (Including and especially requests from flight attendants.)

With all these considerations in mind, here are some suggestions.

Watch at the gate

Comedy series are best, for obvious mood-sweetening reasons (should delays occur), but also because the episodes are short and tend not to have dramatic moments that might keep you watching even after your group number has been called.

“Schitt’s Creek” (Amazon)

Each episode of this perfectly addictive series about a once-rich (and very dysfunctional) family that finds itself forced to start anew in a small town will make you laugh no matter how many times you’ve seen it.

“Derry Girls” (Netflix)

Those unfamiliar with the Northern Ireland accent may find it necessary to use subtitles, which I just cautioned against. But this show is worth breaking the rules for. Living through the Troubles in 1990s Derry, five Catholic school friends and their families cope hilariously with everyday issues, including school life under the redoubtable eye of Sister Michael (Siobhán McSweeney).

“New Girl” (Hulu)

The shenanigans of friends/roomies Jess (Zooey Deschanel), Nick (Jake Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield), Winston (Lamorne Morris) and Cece (Hannah Simone) are always a delight.

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Netflix)

Any time’s a good time to watch the greatest police comedy series since “Barney Miller.” Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta heads a misfit but inevitably successful team of New York detectives, headed by the driest, wisest chief in TV history — Captain Holt, played by the late, great Andre Braugher.

“Abbott Elementary” (Hulu)

Celebrate the holidays with this quick-witted, revelatory and very sweet teacher-centric mockumentary-comedy created by and starring Quinta Brunson. Compared with classroom chaos, even the airport will seem like an oasis of tranquility.

“What We Do in the Shadows” (Hulu)

If you somehow missed this hilariously unique comedy-horror mockumentary about a group of vampires living in modern-day Staten Island, now is the time to rectify that.

Watch on domestic flights

All of the above comedy series work here as well — but movies are best, especially if you can time it so the film begins when altitude is achieved and ends as you’re returning your seat backs and tray tables to their full upright positions.

FILMS:

“The Da Vinci Code” (AMC+)

The perfect in-flight film, “The Da Vinci Code” offers something like cultural edification (the Louvre! The Knights Templar! Biblical history!) while not forcing you to think too much. A tour of Paris, great action sequences, the always endearing Tom Hanks and a literally beatific conclusion.

“Spy” (Amazon)

Melissa McCarthy is an everywoman intelligence agent who chooses to go into the field for the first time in this strangely unsung hero of modern comedy. Guaranteed to make you laugh even if you’re stuck in the middle seat. (Also set in Paris, it’s a perfect double feature with “The Da Vinci Code” for those five-hour flights.)

“Crazy Rich Asians” (Netflix)

Jon M. Chu’s glorious romantic comedy will transport you into a world far beyond the dreary confines of contemporary air travel and make you feel, if only for a moment, that you too are flying in a first-class compartment that contains an actual double bed.

“Iron Man” (Disney+)

Travel back in time to the moment when Robert Downey Jr. jump-started the Marvel Cinematic Universe and remind yourself why. It really is that good.

“Sense and Sensibility” (Amazon)

The exquisite nature of the performances, writing, direction, cinematography and score has made one of the best Jane Austen adaptations a go-to comfort film for when you’re feeling ill. Which is why it’s perfect while flying.

“Paddington” and/or “Paddington 2” (Netflix)

Come for the adorable bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw), stay for the adventure and sweet hijinks (and, in “Paddington 2,” Hugh Grant!). You will reach your destination feeling more kindly to your fellow travelers, which can only improve any trip.

“Edge of Tomorrow” (Netflix)

Tom Cruise teams up with Emily Blunt to battle an alien invasion, with some help from time travel. Classic dystopian thriller with several clever twists. If you’re feeling hot and cramped, just think of Cruise and Blunt in those super suits.

“The Martian” (Netflix)

Feel bad that your flight got delayed and you might not make your connection? A little time spent with Matt Damon’s astronaut, stranded for years on Mars, will put everything in perspective. At least you don’t have to figure out how to grow potatoes in hostile soil.

“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” (Amazon)

The ultimate full-immersion movie sees four teenagers sucked into a survival adventure game in which their avatars are played by Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan.

“Skyfall” (Amazon)

Honestly, most Bond films are a good choice but Daniel Craig is my favorite Bond and “Skyfall” features a more-than-usual presence of M (Judi Dench). Also, the song.

“Knives Out” (Amazon)

A classic manor house mystery, which revived the genre when it became a hit in 2019, “Knives Out” is the ideal blend of mystery and wit, with a cast of characters to keep you company.

SHOWS:

“Hawkeye” (Disney+)

If you’re looking for a five-hour (or so) miniseries with plenty of Marvel action and a holiday theme, look no further. A year after the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” Hawkeye super fan Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) teams up with her reluctant hero, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), to face down enemies new and old. Oh, and celebrate Christmas in New York.

“Black Mirror” (Netflix)

This sci-fi anthology series is perfect plane viewing because a.) It’s so very good and b.) Each episode is its own story, so you can construct however many hours you need (and, perhaps, catch up on a show so many people continue to talk about).

“Sherlock” (PBS)

Same principle — each episode is essentially a short film and you get to wallow in the wonder of Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock), Martin Freeman (Watson), Mark Gatiss (Mycroft) and all the rest as they solve crimes in modern twists on the classic tales.

Watch on international flights

For flights six hours and longer, you can hunker down and make your way through a film franchise or an entire season or seasons of a television series.

FILMS:

“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy (HBO Max)

Pick the director’s cut of all three and your journey through Middle-earth will take you almost 12 hours, which is about as long as it takes to fly from L.A. to New Zealand, where it was filmed.

“Hunger Games” (HBO Max)

The four films in which Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and friends attempt to wrest a shattered land from the tyranny of President Snow (Donald Sutherland) clock in at about nine hours total, which, with bathroom and meal breaks, should get you from L.A. to London or Paris.

“Mission Impossible” films (Amazon and other platforms)

Although they often include mishaps in the air, the fantastic (in both senses of the word) nature of “Mission: Impossible” makes these films an ideal high-altitude binge. From first to last, they run more than 18 hours, which is, quite frankly, far too many hours of consecutive movie viewing. But with plenty of installments to choose from, you can accept whichever assignments (and Cruise stunts) appeal to you.

“Harry Potter” (HBO Max)

However one feels about J.K. Rowling’s politics, this is a delightful film franchise that’s even longer than “Mission; Impossible” — about 20 hours. But you can start, and stop, the series wherever you want (though I would urge you not to skip the underrated “Order of the Phoenix”).

SHOWS:

“Black Doves” (Netflix)

Keira Knightley and Whishaw play highly unlikely but ruthlessly skilled mercenary spies who work for an ice-cold Sarah Lancashire. The six-hour-long series tells a complete tale (though Season 2 is in the works) and as the events take place in London as Christmas approaches, makes a fine holiday thriller.

“House”

Pick a season, any season (there are eight of them, with an average of 22 episodes each) and the wit, wisdom and scathing insanity of Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) and his team will carry you through to any destination. And unlike other medical shows, most of the ailments are so bizarre that you won’t have to worry if that cough or twinge is a sign that you’re getting one of them.

“The Durrells in Corfu” (PBS)

It’s 1935 and young widow Louisa Durrell (Keeley Hawes) decides that the answer to her financial straits is to move herself and her four children to the island of Corfu. Sweet and scenic hilarity ensues, and includes the young Josh O’Connor (“The Crown”) and Callum Woodhouse (“All Creatures Great and Small”) as two of Louisa’s sons. Four seasons, 26 episodes. You’re welcome.

“Call the Midwife” (Netflix)

Seasonal purists could just download the dozen or so Christmas episodes of this long-running and still-exceptional drama about a group of midwives working out of a convent in London’s East End. (Between the nuns and the babies, the specials are always wonderful.) But if you haven’t seen the series, best to start with Season 1 and keep going.

“Mare of Easttown” (HBO Max)

If you somehow missed Kate Winslet’s turn as a small-town Pennsylvania cop (with a great Delco accent) who is trying to solve a brutal murder, then this is your chance. If you didn’t, well, it’s time for an eight-hour rewatch in which you can use the time you spent wondering who dunit to admire all the terrific acting.

“Slow Horses” (Apple TV)

The butt-numbing hours will fly by like minutes when you immerse yourself in the TV adaptation of the first five of Mick Herron’s Slough House novels. Gary Oldman is having a blast as Jackson Lamb, the greasy, rumpled, sharp-tongued and strategically flatulent keeper of a den of MI5 misfits. Who somehow manage to save the day.

“The Crown” (Netflix)

Think your flight is long? Consider the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth, played over the course of six seasons by Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton. For a full immersive experience, it’s tough to beat the royal settings, period clothes and changing times. And with 60 hours at your fingertips, you can move through history without ever leaving your seat.

“30 Rock” (Hulu)

Tina Fey’s send-up of a fictional “Saturday Night Live”-type show, and satirical look at the television business in general, is just as biting and gimlet-eyed as it was when it premiered almost 20 years ago. It got better as it aged, so for purposes of downloading, look to Seasons 4 and 5.

“Parks and Recreation” (Peacock/Amazon)

Life is always better when you spend some time with Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza) and the many fine public servants in Pawnee, Indiana’s city government. The mockumentary series found its feet in Season 2, so you might want to start there.

“The Wire” (HBO Max)

David Simon’s five-season Baltimore-based crime drama is definitely R-rated (thus breaking one of our earlier stated rules) but it is the show that is consistently listed as one of the best — if not the best — TV dramas ever. So if a long-haul flight demands that you binge, why not binge big?

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By KRYSTA FAURIA

LOS ANGELES (AP) — At the movies this fall, Josh O’Connor plays a hot priest with a complicated past, Keanu Reeves is an angel who lost his wings and Elizabeth Olsen has a romantic dilemma in the afterlife.

Hollywood, it seems, has found God.

But it’s not just starry big-budget Netflix films or A24 indies that are grappling with religion and its place in entertainment. In recent years, there’s been an explosion of films and television made from a confessional perspective that evangelize or portray a particular faith, often Christianity, that have performed particularly well with audiences.

There are animated biblical films from Angel, like the upcoming musical “David,” which the company said has already exceeded $14 million in theatrical pre-sale tickets ahead of its release this Friday, to docudramas like Martin Scorsese’s “The Saints.” While episodes from Season 2 are still being released, the first season of the Fox Nation series, which premiered last year, was the most watched on the platform.

“There has been a revival, a revolution of sorts, of spirituality and faith content,” proclaimed Traci Blackwell, head of targeted content for Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, at a recent Variety event in Beverly Hills for faith and spirituality in entertainment. Earlier this year, Amazon premiered the first season of its own biblical drama, “House of David,” and gained exclusive U.S. streaming rights to “The Chosen,” a massively popular drama series about the life of Jesus.

‘The Chosen’ effect

Historically some faith-based entertainment has performed well at the box office — Mel Gibson’s 2004 epic “The Passion of the Christ” was notoriously the highest-grossing R-rated film in the U.S. and Canada for two decades. But faith-based hits have been few and far between for most of this century.

“Hollywood has taken a lot of criticism by those in the faith community for not providing films that speak to them, that reflect their values,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst, emphasizing the box-office potential of faith-based films.

Studios are realizing faith-based film and television is a worthwhile investment at least in part due to the success of “The Chosen,” which Angel helped launch in 2017, even if it initially took time to see those results.

“It was like pulling teeth to get people to watch it,” recalled Angel CEO and co-founder Neal Harmon. “People have this idea that faith means cheesy or preachy. And we had to break through that barrier.”

Once they did, it paid off. Since Fathom Entertainment began distributing “The Chosen” theatrically in 2023, the series has grossed more than $116 million domestically.

Though not a Christian company, Angel aims to distribute and market “values-based entertainment” that includes but is not limited to stories of faith. They’ve released a host of religious films, with “Zero A.D.,” a biblical epic about the Massacre of the Innocents recounted in the Gospel of Matthew, on the docket for 2026.

Meanwhile, Lionsgate is set to premiere “I Can Only Imagine 2” in theaters February, a sequel to the 2018 biopic starring Dennis Quaid, which was one of the highest-grossing Christian films of all-time in the United States.

Co-director Andrew Erwin said he noticed a “massive shift” take place about five years ago, after years of disconnect between the demand for these kinds of films and Hollywood’s willingness to make them.

“For the first time, movie studios are really giving us a fair shake,” he said, though he thinks the quality of the content was also a factor. “We didn’t have the knowledge of how to do the filmmaking side of things. And so, I think the storytelling has gotten a lot better.”

Lionsgate is also set to distribute the first of Gibson’s two-part sequel to “The Passion of the Christ” in 2027.

Defining ‘faith-based’

Trying to define what counts as faith-based programming is a bit like trying to define what counts as pornography.

Themes of belief, guilt and “foolish grace” abound in O’Connor’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” — the third of filmmaker Rian Johnson’s hit Netflix franchise. But few would call it a religious film.

Amanda Seyfried preaches celibacy and endures persecution in “The Testament of Ann Lee,” the musical biopic about the founder of the Shakers sect, in theaters Christmas. But in all the acclaim and Oscar buzz surrounding the film, there’s little talk of its engagement with faith.

Even Scorsese’s 1988 “The Last Temptation of Christ” or filmmaker Paul Schrader’s Oscar-nominated “First Reformed,” which also stars Seyfried, are hardly thought of broadly as Christian films, despite the fact that both men have been outspoken about their respective traditions.

“This film was his way of exploring his faith and exploring who his God is,” Scorsese’s daughter Francesca, who directed one of the episodes of “The Saints,” said of “The Last Temptation of Christ.”

Conversely, the people behind some of these recent projects resist them being called explicitly religious, even when audiences perceive them as such.

“I wouldn’t characterize it so much as overtly Christian,” Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in “The Chosen,” told The Associated Press last year. “It’s a historical drama that centers on Jesus.”

For studios and filmmakers, acknowledging that a project is told from a religious perspective can be a double-edged sword.

“If you’re buying in on going to the movie theater for a faith-based movie, you know you’re gonna have people around you who are really into the experience,” Dergarabedian said. “The minute you say faith-based though, it kind of puts a movie in a box.”

A fad or here to stay

Many Christians celebrate the trend beyond its monetary potential. Phil Wickham, a Grammy-nominated Christian recording artist who voices the character of David in the upcoming Angel film, said it’s been gratifying to see the success of shows like “The Chosen” and “House of David.”

“Growing up, anything that was Christian media felt so preachy,” Wickham said. “Even as a pastor’s kid, it was a turn off. But now I think there’s just more opportunity to tell bigger stories over the course of a series and more people willing to really dig in and tell something with excellence and beauty.”

While it’s too soon to tell whether there’s been a sea change in Hollywood or if it’s a short-term fad, the success of some of these projects has stood out amid an otherwise perilous time in the business.

“Hollywood usually follows money,” Jason Klarman, Fox News Media’s chief digital and marketing officer, said as he touted Fox Nation’s packed slate of upcoming faith-based content, including Zachary Levi’s “David: King of Israel” docudrama. “Even when the trend ends, we’ll still be doing it.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal struck by Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share.

“There’s no question about it,” Trump said, answering questions about the deal and various other topics as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors.

The Republican president said he will be involved in the decision about whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion deal. If approved by regulators, the merger would put two of the world’s biggest streaming services under the same ownership and join Warner’s television and motion picture division, including DC Studios, with Netflix’s vast library and its production arm.

The deal, which could reshape the entertainment industry, has to “go through a process and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.

“Netflix is a great company. They’ve done a phenomenal job. Ted is a fantastic man,” he said of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, noting that they met in the Oval Office last week before the deal was announced Dec. 5. “I have a lot of respect for him but it’s a lot of market share, so we’ll have to see what happens.”

Asked if Netflix should be allowed to buy the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max, the president said, “Well that’s the question.”

“They have a very big market share and when they have Warner Bros., you know, that share goes up a lot so, I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll be involved in that decision, too. But they have a very big market share”

Sarandos made no guarantees at their meeting about the merger if it is approved, Trump said, adding that the CEO is a “great person” who has “done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies and other things.”

He repeated that a merger would create a “big market share” for the company.

“There’s no question about it. It could be a problem,” Trump said.

Associated Press writer John Carucci contributed to this report.

Jim McCarty and Johnny “Bee” Badanjek may not be household names, but in the music world, the guitarist and drummer, respectively, are legends.

And now the two Detroiters are the subject of a documentary series, “Jim and the Bee,” that will have a premiere screening this weekend before airing next spring.

The three-part series examines the duo’s careers, which include tenures with Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, Detroit, Cactus, the Rockets and more. McCarty currently leads his own band, Mystery Train, while Badanjek — whose session resume includes work with Alice Cooper, Edgar Winter, Nils Lofgren and others — is also a noted painter who released a solo album.

Ken LaPlace, whose Ortonville-based Living Legends Motion Pictures directed and co-executive produced “Jim and the Bee,” says the plan began after Badanjek appeared on its syndicated PBS cooking show “The Melody Grill.” “The original plan was to produce a simple half-hour feature on Johnny,” he explains. “Word got out and pretty soon, we had a list of well-known rockers calling to be in it, and here we are today.”

Filming took place between March 4, 2024, and Oct. 2, 2025, including interviews with Cooper, Lofgren, Suzi Quatro, Ted Nugent, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, the E Street Band’s Max Weinberg, Mark Farner, the Smithereens’ Dennis Diken and others. It’s slated to be shown in three parts on WDCQ in Saginaw, most likely in March, and is being pushed to other PBS outlets. An extended trailer is available on YouTube.

The “Jim and the Bee” premiere takes place at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at Harpo’s Concert Theatre, 14238 Harper Ave., Detroit. 313-824-1700. Proceeds will benefit sick, injured and disabled first responders through the nonprofit Living Legends Organizations. Attendees will have the opportunity to sign a petition requesting Ryder and the Detroit Wheels to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — Mike Tirico, Maria Taylor, Ahmed Fareed and Noah Eagle will work multiple events in February as NBC broadcasts the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Super Bowl 60 and the NBA All-Star Game.

On Feb. 8, Tirico will handle play-by-play in a Super Bowl for the first time after being the pregame host in 2022. After the Super Bowl postgame, he will host “Primetime in Milan” from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Tirico, who will be hosting NBC’s primetime Olympic coverage for the fifth time, will begin hosting from Italy on Feb. 10 until the conclusion of the games on Feb. 22.

Tirico will also be part of NBC’s debut of “Sunday Night Basketball” on Feb. 1 when he calls the Los Angeles Lakers-New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden.

Taylor will be the lead host of the Super Bowl pregame for the first time. On Feb. 7, she will be the primetime host of Olympics coverage and then will be the late-night host from Italy beginning on Feb. 10. This will be the fourth Olympics assignment for Taylor, who joined NBC in 2021.

Taylor will also host the debut of “Basketball Night in America” on Feb. 1.

Fareed will anchor the NBA All-Star Weekend coverage from Inglewood, California, Feb. 13-15 as well as being the daytime host of Olympics coverage on Feb. 7.

Eagle will call his first NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15 as well as All-Star Saturday. He will also be part of the Super Bowl pregame and has NBA games on Feb. 1 (Oklahoma City at Denver) and Feb. 22 (Boston at Los Angeles Lakers).

Today show co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin will also be part of Olympics coverage. Guthrie will host the Opening Ceremony with Terry Gannon Feb. 6 and then “Primetime in Milan” on Feb. 9. Melvin has the Late Night show from Feb. 7-9.

Everybody loves a reunion — and the “Everybody Loves Raymond” team is giving the people what they want.

Ray Romano, who starred as sports journalist Ray Barone, and creator Phil Rosenthal will host “Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion” on Nov. 24 at 8 to 9:30 p.m. ET, to commemorate both the 29 years since the Long Island-set sitcom premiered on Sept. 13, 1996 and the two decades since the show took its final bow in May 2005.

“Audiences are invited back to the recreated Barone living room for an unforgettable evening with America’s favorite family,” reads CBS’ press release.

There will be a “moving tribute” to the late Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle, who starred as Ray and Robert’s overbearing mother and sardonic father Marie and Frank — “fan favorites and the emotional anchors of the series.”

Brad Garrett and Patricia Heaton, who starred as Ray’s brother Robert and Ray’s wife Debra, will take part in the special’s “candid conversations,” as will Madylin and Sullivan Sweeten.

The Sweetens played Ray and Debra’s kids Ally and Michael, along with their late brother Sawyer, who played Michael’s twin Geoffrey. Sawyer died by suicide in 2015 at age 19.

“Raymond” earned 69 Emmy nominations and 15 wins — including twice taking home the award for Outstanding Comedy Series — during its nine-season run.

Speaking to the Daily News in October 2020, Emmy winner Rosenthal ruled out a reboot or remake “because we’re missing key ingredients” in the absences of Boyle and Roberts, who died in 2006 and 2016, respectively: “There is no show without them.”

“There’s an old showbiz axiom, by the way: get off the stage before somebody says, ‘Get off the stage.’ And we did. CBS wanted us to continue,” said Rosenthal. “And we wanted to stop before we became lousy.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Amazon Prime Video will stream two hours of coverage during the first and second rounds of the Masters beginning next year.

The Masters will stream on Prime Video from 1-3 p.m. ET daily on April 9 and 10, leading into ESPN’s coverage both days from 3-7:30 p.m.

“Working alongside Amazon in this capacity is an exciting opportunity for the Masters Tournament and its fans,” Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National and the Masters, said in a statement. “We are proud of our longstanding partnerships with CBS Sports and ESPN, who have set the highest standard for broadcast coverage of the Masters. The addition of Amazon will only further our abilities to expand and enhance how the Tournament is presented and enjoyed.”

Paramount+ will stream the third and fourth rounds on April 11 and 12 from noon-2 p.m. ET before CBS takes over beginning at 2 p.m.

With the addition of Prime Video, primary broadcast and streaming coverage of the Masters will be at least 27 hours, up from 18 hours last year.

“It’s an honor for all of us at Amazon to become a broadcast partner of the Masters Tournament and to provide fans additional hours of live coverage of this treasured event,” Jay Marine, head of Prime Video U.S. and Global Sports, said in a statement. “We are humbled and proud to begin our relationship with Augusta National Golf Club, and we cannot wait to get started.”

By Adam Graham, MediaNews Group

“Whatupdoe!” Jimmy Fallon shouted to the crowd at the Detroit Opera House on Sunday, taking the stage during a special on-the-road edition of “The Tonight Show,” which marked the show’s first-ever visit to the Motor City.

It was a lively taping in front of an animated crowd and was filled with Detroit flavor: mentions of Vernors and coney dogs, “Ja-red Goff!” chants from the audience, jokes about Eminem’s Mom’s Spaghetti, nods to Motown, an appearance by the Detroit Pistons’ dancers and a cameo from Aidan Hutchinson, the Detroit Lions’ superstar defensive end. Hutch showed up at the end of the taping and handed Fallon an honorary game ball, just hours after the Lions’ decisive 52-21 victory over the Chicago Bears just a few hundred yards away at Ford Field.

Fallon gave shout-outs to She Wolf, Buddy’s Pizza and Miller’s Bar in Dearborn, spots he had eaten at over the last few days while in town for the taping. He also gave a shout-out to Motown legend Martha Reeves, who was watching on from the box seats in the mezzanine, among the 3,000 attendees at the taping.

It was the first Detroit visit from a network late-night show since 2006, when Jimmy Kimmel brought his show to the Gem Theatre as Detroit prepared to host Super Bowl XL. Ford was a sponsor of the Fallon taping, and there were taped bits of Fallon driving around Detroit in an F-150, with a stop at Ford Field and an appearance by Ford CEO Jim Farley.

The show opened with a pre-taped segment where Fallon tried hyping himself up in his dressing room mirror, “8 Mile”-style. He then ran into his band, the Roots, who were dressed up as Kiss, explaining they thought they were going with a “Detroit Rock City” theme for the evening. The local references were already off to the races.

“We’re officially moving the show to Detroit!” Fallon said after his reception from the crowd. Soaking in the cheers, he said, “This must be how Eminem felt when he found a word that rhymes with orange.” He later joked the word “Detroit” is “a French word meaning, ‘suck it, Chicago.’”

Fallon, 50, sprinkled a sing-songy Detroit tune into his monologue, making punchlines of back tattoos of Lions quarterback Goff, the paddle pubs seen around downtown, and Vernors pop. Yes, pop: another bit had Fallon in conversation with Roots frontman Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, where he accidentally said “soda” instead of pop, and also pretended to confuse Detroit with being in the Central time zone, not Eastern.

During a brief taping break, Fallon told the crowd about when he was in Detroit in 2008 filming “Whip It,” Drew Barrymore’s roller derby movie in which he plays a small role, and he shared a story about riding a bike through downtown at 3 in the morning.

Guests on the show were Detroit actor and comedian Keegan-Michael Key, Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham and rapper Common. The talk segments unfolded in front of a video backdrop of the Detroit city skyline, from which the Renaissance Center was curiously missing.

Key had joined Fallon at the Lions game earlier in the day. “You came (to the game), and (the Lions) scored immediately,” Key told Fallon. “You have to come back to Detroit every Sunday.”

Key wore a Barry Sanders Lions jersey and played a game with Fallon where he asked the host to do his best at pronouncing several Detroit street names, including Livernois, Dequindre and Gratiot. “Gra-shee-oh?” Fallon tried with the last one, to the great amusement of the crowd. Later, Key and Fallon dined on samples from Slow’s Bar BQ, the Corktown BBQ spot that is celebrating 20 years in business.

The pair also participated in a Lip Sync Battle, with Fallon taking on Björk’s “It’s Oh So Quiet” and the Billboard Hot 100’s current No. 1 song, HUNTR/X’s “Golden.” Key took a more old-school approach, miming a pair of Motown classics, The Temptations’ “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” and Martha and the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street.” Fallon joined him on the latter and did his Mick Jagger impression, nodding to Jagger’s 1985 remake of the song with David Bowie.

Cunningham, the 6-foot-6 Pistons point guard, talked fondly about his time in Detroit and gifted Fallon a pair of Cartier Buffs. He also joined Fallon as he shot shirts into the crowd with a T-shirt cannon as they were flanked by the Pistons’ dance squad and Pistons mascot Hooper.

Common was joined by singer Bilal as they paid tribute to late Detroit hip-hop producer J Dilla, performing “The Light,” a Dilla-produced track from Common’s 2000 album “Like Water for Chocolate.” At the front of the stage, an artist spray-painted a portrait of Dilla during the performance.

Hutchinson crashed the party at the end of the taping, greeting Fallon by giving him a giant bear hug.

The local taping was announced Sept. 5. Tickets for the show were given out free to fans through an online lottery, and lines wrapped around the Opera House on Sunday afternoon as fans were let in to the building.

The show taped from about 5 p.m. until about 6:20 p.m. It is set to air at 11:30 p.m. on Monday on NBC, and will be available to stream on Tuesday on Peacock.

Among those in attendance was Jamie Longenbarger of Monroe.

“I think it’s amazing to have Jimmy come here to our city. Detroit is exciting as it is, and to have someone like Jimmy here makes it extra,” she said. “It was so exciting. Every part of it. It was great. Great experience.”

Said Traci Longenbarger, who joined Jamie at the taping, “Coming out of that (Lions) game, I think (Detroit) was just super hype today. It was amazing.”

By MARK KENNEDY

The Emmy Awards weren’t all about Seth Rogen walking up the aisle in his burnt brown tux to collect yet another award. It just sometimes seemed that way.

Rogen’s “The Studio” won a total of 13 Emmys, breaking the all-time record for most wins for a comedy series. Rogen himself won four, tying the record for most Emmys won by a single individual in one night.

“I’m legitimately embarrassed,” Rogen admitted at one point.

But behind the undeniable march of “The Studio” were some other pieces of Emmy history. The youngest male actor ever was crowned for the series “Adolescence” and “Severance” star Tramell Tillman became the first Black actor to win in his category. And the up and down year of Stephen Colbert hit a high.

An adolescent makes history

Owen Cooper, 15, shattered the Emmy record for youngest male acting winner.

The “Adolescence” star won best supporting actor in a limited or anthology series. The Netflix four-part series which traces the emotional fallout after a U.K. teenage stabbing, became a sensation, a sort of 2025 version of last year’s “Baby Reindeer.”

In his acceptance speech, Cooper revealed he only started acting classes a few years ago and encouraged those watching to step out of their comfort zones.

“A couple years back I didn’t expect to be in the United States, let alone here. Tonight proves if you listen, you focus and you step out of your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life. I was nothing three years ago. I’m here now,” he said.

The record for youngest male actor had previously been held by Scott Jacoby, who was 16 when he won in the supporting drama actor trophy for “That Certain Summer” in 1973. The youngest Emmy winner ever is Roxana Zal, who won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a limited series in 1984 at age 14.

Cooper beat Javier Bardem, Bill Camp, Rob Delaney, Peter Sarsgaard and his “Adolescence” co-star Ashley Walters.

Stephen Colbert going out with a bang

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” won the award for best talk series for the first time, just months after learning it was being canceled.

In July, CBS announced it was ending the show, attributing the cause to financial reasons. The series will go off the air in May 2026.

Colbert, who has hosted his show since 2015, was gracious, thanking CBS for his shot and quoting from Prince’s hit “Let’s Go Crazy”: “If the elevator tries to bring you down/Go crazy, punch a higher floor.”

Earlier in the night, he turned his time as award presenter into a job ad, getting a standing ovation as he approached the microphone to announce the winner of lead actor in a comedy series.

“While I have your attention, is anyone hiring? Because I’ve got 200 very well-qualified candidates with me here tonight. We’ll be available in June,” he said.

He then pulled out a resume and an old headshot but realized he only had the one copy. “Harrison Ford, could you get this to Spielberg?” He ran over to Ford, who seemed to promise he would.

Tramell Tillman charms

Tramell Tillman made history, but he made it all about his mom.

The “Severance” star became the first Black actor to win best supporting actor in a drama playing the creepy, unnerving Seth Milchick.

Tillman thanked his first acting coach — his mother, who was also his date.

“You remember what you want to remember. You make time for what you want to make for. Do the work. Show up. And most importantly, for the love of God, don’t embarrass me in public,” he said. “My first acting coach was tough, y’all, but all great mothers are.”

Tillman, holding the statuette high, added: “This is for you. I am full, I am humbled, I am honored.”

A fake ER worker honors the real ones

Noah Wyle’s narrative was just too powerful to deny. After getting five nominations without a win for “ER,” the actor came back to don scrubs 30 years later and won his first Emmy for playing another emergency doctor on “The Pitt.”

Wyle thanked HBO Max and Warner Bros. Television for allowing “the conditions to exist for lightning to strike in my life twice.”

And then he dedicated his award to those in the health care field.

“To anybody who’s going on shift tonight or coming off shift tonight, thank you for being in that job. This is for you,” Wyle said.

A little politics

CBS is likely wiping its network forehead that a bitterly divided nation didn’t make the Emmys a divisive place.

Yes, Javier Bardem wore a kaffiyeh in support of Palestinians and Television Academy Chairman Cris Abrego criticized Congress for voting to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. But Donald Trump and Charlie Kirk were never mentioned on the broadcast and even Stephen Colbert — never shy to mock the powerful — stayed apolitical.

The most explosive it got was when “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder ended her acceptance speech win with vocal support for the Philadelphia Eagles, an expletive aimed at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and a call to “free Palestine.”

Speeches that cost a lot

At the last Emmys, host Anthony Anderson turned to his mother to enforce shorter acceptance speeches. This year host Nate Bargatze used guilt.

He revealed he would pledge $100,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America but that donation would shrink by $1,000 for every second a winner exceeded their 45-second speech limit.

Some winners went too long — like Einbinder, who promised to pay the difference — and some went purposely fast — like John Oliver and Rogen — to take advantage of a new rule Bargatze proposed: Every second saved from the 45-second limit would get back $1,000.

In the end, Bargatze promised to still donate not just the original amount, but — when adding CBS’ contribution — came out to be a full $350,000.

“Go to heaven a-shoutin’”

Phylicia Rashad introduced the in memoriam section, highlighting the loss of her TV son, Malcolm Jamal Warner, the “Cosby Show” star who died in July. “Like all our friends and colleagues who transitioned this past year, Malcolm Jamal Warner remains in our hearts.”

Then Lainey Wilson and Vince Gill sang a tender “Go Rest High on That Mountain” during the tribute, which included Teri Garr, Ozzy Osbourne, Chuck Woolery, Loni Anderson, Bill Moyers, George Wendt, Loretta Swit. Maggie Smith, David Lynch, Richard Chamberlain, Linda Lavin, Anne Burrell, Michelle Trachtenberg and Quincy Jones. Notable absences were Hulk Hogan and Polly Holliday.

Tributes, tributes, tributes

The Emmys looked back by celebrating the anniversary of several shows, including having Reba McEntire, Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman performing the theme song of “The Golden Girls” for its 40th anniversary.

Jeff Probst was on hand to celebrate the 50th season of “Survivor,” presenting the award for scripted variety series as if it was a tribal council meeting.

Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham stood in a replica of their Connecticut home set to celebrate “Gilmore Girls,” a coming-of-age story, blending wittiness with relatable family dynamics that celebrated its debut 25 years ago.

Additional tributes honored “Law & Order’s” 35th anniversary, featuring Ice-T, Tony Goldwyn, Mariska Hargitay, S. Epatha Merkerson and Christopher Meloni.

“Grey’s Anatomy” — the longest-running prime-time medical drama in American television history — was supposed to mark its 20th anniversary with appearances by Eric Dane and Jesse Williams. Only Williams was there; Dane revealed his ALS diagnosis in April.

Ray Romano and Brad Garrett had a mini-reunion of “Everybody Loves Raymond.” It was one of the night’s funniest bits, with both men sad about how long it had taken them to be back at the Emmys. Garrett wondered if he’d make the in memoriam section after he died. “If it’s a slow year, no doubt,” Romano told him.

This story corrects the title of “Baby Reindeer.”

For more coverage of this year’s Emmy Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/emmy-awards

By ITZEL LUNA, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Not many franchises have fueled society’s timeless fascination with the boundless possibilities of a utopian future like “Star Trek.”

Next year the sprawling franchise will add more shows, Lego sets and even a Rose Parade Float in a yearlong celebration of its 60th anniversary.

The hefty lineup of “fan-centric” celebrations was announced by the franchise on its 59th anniversary Monday, known as Star Trek Day. The projects are the first wave, Paramount said in its announcement.

“The 60th anniversary celebrates “Space for Everybody,” extending an open invitation to celebrate the future that “Star Trek” aspires to — a future of HOPE, a future of EXPLORATION and a future where we rise to the challenge to BE BOLD,” the announcement read.

The sci-fi franchise began with the TV series created by Gene Roddenberry that debuted in 1966 and has since sprawled into a multi-billion dollar cultural phenomenon.

Today, fans, known as Trekkies, have enjoyed countless movies, spinoff shows and video games based on the original series.

Set in the Milky Way a couple hundred years in the future, the series followed the crew behind the starship USS Enterprise. Their journey led them to, “Boldy go where no man has gone before,” as William Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk, famously said at the top of every episode.

Celebration kicks off at the Rose Parade

The yearlong celebration will kick off on New Year’s Day, with a float in the Rose Parade in California. The float “will reflect values of hope, inclusivity, exploration and unity,” the franchise representatives wrote in a statement.

The float will also feature the upcoming new series “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” set to launch in early 2026 on Paramount+. The show will center on a group of young cadets who navigate the responsibilities of becoming Starfleet officers all the while juggling new friendships, love interests and enemies.

Paramount gave a first look of the show, which starts actors Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti, during a Comic-Con event in late July.

The franchise also announced “Star Trek: Scout” a new original, animated YouTube-first series. Created by Nickelodeon Digital Studio in association with CBS Studio, the show is the first preschool extension of the franchise. It follows three 8-year-old friends as they train to become future Starfleet Explorers.

The first two episodes of the 20-episode run were released Monday, and the rest will roll out into the next year.

A new scripted podcast, “Star Trek: Khan” also released its first episode Monday. New episodes will air weekly and chronicle Khan’s descent into the iconic villain introduced in the 1982 film “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”

New partnerships

Following the longstanding success of Lego partnerships with similar franchises like “Star Wars,” the company will partner with Paramount for the first time to bring “Star Trek” to life.

The franchise and the Lego company “have strong shared values of imagination, exploration and building a better tomorrow, making this an ideal partnership for fans of all ages,” the statement read.

A “Star Trek” cruise will set sail in late February “filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences in celebration of the franchise’s 60th anniversary,” according to the statement. Various “Star Trek” actors, including Shatner and Walter Koenig, will join the voyage.