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But as soon as I got back to Bangkok, the temperatures were higher (around 90) and the humidity was very present, though more tolerable given its the rainy season here now. So I suddenly felt like I had so much hair on my head since I typically keep it very short here.

Using the LINE app (if you know, you know), I scheduled my appointment with Khun Oum, the barber at the Siam Square One location of Never Say Cutz, who has been cutting my hair and giving me a shave for nearly three years.

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Given I’d just had six weeks of being repeatedly shocked how expensive everything seemed in the U.S., I was glad to get back to Thailand where the dollar goes further and things just don’t seem as expensive. That includes my haircut and shave. Check out the video below to see just how much I paid for a great haircut and (my favorite) a close shave. (NOTE: this is not a collaboration and I received zero compensation for featuring Never Say Cutz. Also, since my phone battery died on a previous attempt to film my haircut/shave, this video is a compilation of a few different past visits).

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Want to see more content like this? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for watching and please share on your own social media or with your friends.

Until next time…

The finale movie, with the poster tagline “Love likes there’s no ending” is coming on July 17 on Netflix and the new trailer was just released so I had to help spread the word and share the news for this amazing series.

Check out the trailer here:

Until next time…

But it was Netflix’s The Beast in Me, which dropped November 13, 2025, where the actor went down one of the more villainous routes he’s ever taken as possibly murderer Nile Jarvis, the son of a real estate mogul (played by Breaking Bad’s Jonathan Banks) who was accused of killing his first wife. Claire Danes’ Aggie Wiggs is a writer whose world is already fragile after the death of her son and divorce from her wife (Natalie Morales) but decides to take on the job of writing a book about Jarvis, which requires she spend a lot of time with him and, well, she starts to suspect that maybe Jarvis isn’t innocent anymore. The series also stars Brittany Snow, David Lyons, Tim Guinee and Hettienne Park.

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Though Rhys’s previous characters often have had shaky moral centers, this one felt different to me so I was glad to be asked by In Creative Company to talk to him about The Beast In Me, what it takes for him to say "yes” to any role and how he shot some of the more shocking moments in the series. (Be warned, Rhys and I discuss the final episodes of the series so spoiler alert if you haven’t watched or finished the series.)

Here’s our chat, which was conducted on June 5, 2026:

Until next time…

Leading the pack with five nominations each were Heated Rivalry (HBO Max/Crave), Industry (HBO Max) and Widow’s Bay (AppleTV+). Given Heated Rivalry wasn’t eligible for Emmy consideration given its a Canadian production, the same rules don’t apply for the TCA Awards so the series, starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as hockey players who fall in love, landed in Program of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Drama, and Outstanding New Program as well as Williams and Storrie both nominated in the Individual Achievement in Drama.

Here is the full list of the 2026 Television Critics Association nominees:

Program of the Year

The Comeback — HBO Max

Hacks — HBO Max

Heated Rivalry — Crave/HBO Max

Industry — HBO Max

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — CBS

The Pitt — HBO Max (2025 Winner)

Pluribus — Apple TV

Shrinking — Apple TV

Widow’s Bay — Apple TV

Outstanding Achievement in Comedy

Abbott Elementary — ABC (2022 Winner)

The Comeback — HBO Max

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins — NBC

Hacks — HBO Max (2024 Winner)

The Lowdown — FX

Margo’s Got Money Troubles — Apple TV

Shrinking — Apple TV

Widow’s Bay — Apple TV

Outstanding Achievement in Drama

The Gilded Age — HBO Max

Heated Rivalry — Crave/HBO Max

Industry — HBO Max

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — HBO Max

Paradise — Hulu

The Pitt — HBO Max (2025 Winner)

Pluribus — Apple TV

Task — HBO Max

Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries or Specials

All Her Fault — Peacock

The Beast in Me — Netflix

Beef — Netflix (2023 Winner)

Death by Lightning — Netflix

DTF St. Louis — HBO Max

Half Man — HBO Max

Lord of the Flies — Netflix

Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette — FX

Outstanding New Program

Alien: Earth — FX

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins — NBC

Heated Rivalry — Crave/HBO Max

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — HBO Max

The Lowdown — FX

Margo’s Got Money Troubles — Apple TV

Pluribus — Apple TV

Widow’s Bay — Apple TV

Individual Achievement in Drama

Marisa Abela, Industry — HBO Max

Sterling K. Brown, Paradise — Hulu

David Harbour, DTF St. Louis — HBO Max

Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt — HBO Max

Ken Leung, Industry — HBO Max

Myha’la, Industry — HBO Max

Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus — Apple TV

Connor Storrie, Heated Rivalry — Crave/HBO Max

Hudson Williams, Heated Rivalry — Crave/HBO Max

Noah Wyle, The Pitt — HBO Max (2025 Winner)

Individual Achievement in Comedy

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks — HBO Max

Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles — Apple TV

Harrison Ford, Shrinking — Apple TV

Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback — HBO Max

Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay — Apple TV

Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay — Apple TV

Jean Smart, Hacks — HBO Max (2021, 2024 Winner)

Tim Robinson, The Chair Company — HBO Max

Outstanding Achievement in News and Information

60 Minutes — CBS (2012 Winner)

The American Revolution — PBS

CBS This Morning — CBS

Disneyland Handcrafted — Disney+

Frontline — PBS (Eight-time Winner in Category)

Have I Got News For You — CNN

Marty, Life Is Short — Netflix

Mr. Scorsese — Apple TV

Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch

The Daily Show — Comedy Central

Jimmy Kimmel Live! — ABC

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver — HBO Max (2018, 2019, 2021 Winner)

Late Night with Seth Meyers — NBC

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — CBS

The Muppet Show: Sabrina Carpenter — Disney+

Saturday Night Live — NBC

Outstanding Achievement in Reality

Couples Therapy — Showtime/Paramount+ (2021 Winner)

Finding Mr. Christmas — Hallmark

The Great British Baking Show — Netflix

Love on the Spectrum — Netflix

RuPaul’s Drag Race — MTV (2014 Winner)

Survivor — CBS

Top Chef — Bravo

The Traitors — Peacock (2024, 2025 Winner)

Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming

Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation — Disney+

Electric Bloom — Disney+/Disney Channel

Percy Jackson and the Olympians — Disney+/Hulu

Phineas and Ferb — Disney+/Disney Channel

Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 — Netflix

Vampirina: Teenage Vampire — Disney+/Disney Channel

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place — Disney+/Disney Channel

WondLa — Apple TV

Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programming

Carl the Collector — PBS KIDS

The First Snow of Fraggle Rock — Apple TV

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ — Disney+/Disney Jr.

Phoebe & Jay — PBS KIDS

Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical — Apple TV

Sofia the First: Royal Magic — Disney+/Disney Jr.

Weather Hunters — PBS KIDS

The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball — Hulu

Outstanding Achievement in Animation (New Category)

Bob’s Burgers — Fox

Haunted Hotel — Netflix

Invincible — Prime Video

King of the Hill — Hulu

Long Story Short — Netflix

The Simpsons — Fox

South Park — Comedy Central

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord — Disney+

Women Wearing Shoulder Pads — Adult Swim

Outstanding International Series (New Category)

The Boyfriend — Netflix

Crime Scene Zero — Netflix

Drops of God — Apple TV

The House of the Spirits — Prime Video

Last Samurai Standing — Netflix

Squid Game — Netflix

Per a press release, “TCA is a non-profit organization of more than 220 professional television journalists from across the United States and Canada. Nominations were determined solely by a vote of members, selected from shows distributed on major broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms from June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026.

Today, TCA is also announcing that it is expanding its categories to 14 with the additions of Outstanding Achievement in Animation—recognizing the best in new or returning animated series—and Outstanding Achievement in International Series, recognizing the best overall series produced by a country outside the United States where the predominant language spoken on screen is not English.

“These new categories celebrate the ways TV continues to evolve,” TCA Board director Liz Shannon Miller, Senior Entertainment Editor at Consequence, said, “especially as standout new series emerge from outside the mainstream.”

Which favorite shows or talent would you like to see win TCA Awards later this summer? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time…

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Thorne co-created and co-wrote Adolescence with Stephen Graham (who also starred in the acclaimed series) and the series reaped the awards last year with 8 Emmys, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series and Outstanding Writing in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. It also won 4 Golden Globes and 4 BAFTAs, as well. To add to the accolades, the “We Need to Talk about…Netflix’s Adolescence” is my 8th highest viewed story on this site.

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Lord of the Flies also hit me as hard as Adolescence so I was thrilled to talk again with Thorne about the series including casting, filming, some of the images that still sit with me and working with the estate of William Golding, who wrote the 1954 novel, on giving the main four boys - Ralph, Piggy, Simon and Jack - some backstory and even revealing Piggy’s real name. To say the least, this conversation for In Creative Company, which you can watch below, was one of my favorites during this FYC season (if not of all time!). Enjoy!

More conversations to come but, for now, until next time…

When they sent me a link to watch the film, I was pleasantly surprised that this was a film with a strong message as well as fantastic performances thanks to a strong script and directing. Love, Again focuses on Caroline Stanford (Valerie Bertinelli) as she deals with her husband Henry (Henry Czerny) slowly succumbing to Alzheimers. As Caroline tries to care for him, she makes a connection with Dr. Leo Marford (Eric McCormack), who has been through a similar situation with his now-deceased wife and over time they develop romantic feelings that only complicates matters more.

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The film, written by Nancey Silvers and directed by David I. Strasser, offers a sympathetic view not only on Henry as he slips away and, one point, even gets violent when he doesn’t recognize his wife, but also with Caroline as the caregiver and the emotional and physical struggle it takes to care for someone.

Thankfully, the panel with Bertinelli, McCormack and Czerny was recorded and was released last week so I wanted to be sure to post it to not only to bring light to the subject matter but you’ll see we had ample time to talk about the script and even called on Strasser, who was in the audience for the panel.

Here’s the SAG-AFTRA Foundation panel from the Meryl Streep Theater in Los Angeles, which happened on April 29. 2026.

You can watch Love, Again on the Lifetime website here. It’s very much worth the watch.

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The good news is I’ve been able to connect with pretty much everyone and, with a goal of moderating 10 panels, I will have successfully moderated 10 panels by the time I leave in a few days to return to the Land of Smiles. On top of all that, I’ve also squeezed in some set visits, in person interviews and have been sitting in my favorite LA coffee shops working on stories, many of which you’ll see below.

So let’s get this recap started!

After my first moderating panel with the cast of Lifetime’s excellent movie Love, Again, (Valerie Bertinelli, Eric McCormack, Henry Czerny), I pitched the LA Times to do a story since the film highlights the tragic Alzheimers’ journey but also the caregiver’s role. I got the greenlight and am really proud of this one. You can read it here. And I’ll be posting the video of the panel very soon so make sure to subscribe if you haven’t already so you don’t miss it.

I remember very well when Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver joined Grey’s Anatomy and the start of the Owen/Teddy relationship, which, of course, had major ups and downs over the years. But talking to each of them (separately) about their journeys and how their characters said goodbye to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital was a really fun and touching, too. You can read the interviews here on Gold Derby.

I was such a fan of the first season of The Night Manager and remember back in 2016, it was the second time I had sat down to interview Tom Hiddleston (the first being for an in person interview for PBS’ The Hollow Crown which I found online here). As always, he was so prolific in talking about the character of Jonathan Pine and launching this adaptation of John le Carré’s novel. (Watch the 2016 video here). With the show returning ten years later, I covered the premiere a few months ago but now have had the chance to do some FYC stories, one of which was with executive producer Stephen Garrett for Gold Derby, which you can read here. I also talked to Hiddleston once again, which you’ll see in June’s roundup (but it was just posted on Monday so here’s the link for that story here). One of my favorites!

If you were a fan of Yellowstone, then the new Beth/Rip spinoff, Dutton Ranch is probably going to be for you as it has many of the same elements of family, drama, betrayal and Beth (Kelly Reilly) putting people in their place. I wouldn’t say it’s the same show, though, since the location moves to Texas which brings about new challenges as well as a cast that includes Annette Bening and Ed Harris. I talked to director/EP Christina Alexandra Voros about the show for Gold Derby here.

Classic TV chats always make me a little giddy and though it wasn’t my first chat with Patrick Duffy, I still loved talking about that crazy prime time soap twist on Dallas when Bobby Ewing came back from the dead. The fact that the entire season before was deemed a dream was a huge swing but the show made it work and Duffy had great memories of that time and how co-star Larry Hagman was responsible in bringing him back. Read our interview on the Television Academy website here.

And here’s a roundup of the stories I posted here on Coffee, TV & Me. It was a good month!

Until next month….thank you for being here!

Do the casting directors - from Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful and Beyond the Gates - prefer in person auditions, watching on tape or having zoom auditions/meetings? How do they go about recasting a prominent role, which happens regularly in daytime TV? What are some of the Dos and Don’ts actors should remember when auditioning?

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We talked about all those things and much more for this lively panel, which the SAG-AFTRA Foundation posted this week on YouTube so I thought I would share it here.

Until next time…

And while driving around familiar neighborhoods, having meals at restaurants new and old to me and reconnecting with people I hadn’t seen in person in awhile, I was having a lot of thoughts about how I felt about being back for such an extended time. I also have been asked a lot about whether being here was bringing up feelings of wanting to live here once again.

I definitely have had a lot of feelings, which I decided to share in the below video that I filmed yesterday while hanging out in one of my favorite places in LA, Manhattan Beach. I answer the question I’ve been asked a lot and also reflect on if this work trip has lived up to expectations. Enjoy!

Until next time…

With my annual trip to Los Angeles to connect with editors I work with, publicists who help me set up interviews, set visits and, yes, catching up with some friends along the way, I timed this visit with the very busy FYC season, when networks and studios push the shows and talent they’d like to get Emmy nominations.

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As of this writing, I have led 5 panels and still have several more to go before I head back to Thailand but, that said, I’m here until June 8 so if you have a panel needing a moderator before that date, make sure to hit me up.

To commemorate this really fun trip thus far, I thought I’d share some of the photos from the events and give you a little inside intel on leading these very different conversations. Let’s take a look:

I was in Los Angeles a whole 36 hours when I found myself at the SAG AFTRA Foundation building on Wilshire in Los Angeles ready to lead a conversation on the Lifetime film Love, Again. I had a coffee so that got rid of any jet lag that may have swooped in and talked to the film stars Valerie Bertinelli (also an executive producer), Eric McCormack and Henry Czerny about this really wonderful film. It’s also not an easy film to watch since it’s about early onset Alzheimer’s (Czerny’s character, Henry, gets the diagnosis early in the film) and what caregiver’s go through since Bertinelli’s character (Caroline) devotes herself to caring for her husband as his health declines.

McCormack plays Leo, a doctor at the hospital where Caroline volunteers and since he has gone through a spouse dying, he’s a source of comfort for her. And, yes, an attraction does develop between them, which is complicated given Caroline still loves her husband but is also struggling taking care of him alone. (Watch the film on Lifetime’s website here and you can also see the story I wrote on the film for the Los Angeles Times here.) The conversation at the SAG AFTRA offices was a great mix of laughs, memories the actors had on filming and even a few tears.

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The following Sunday, I was back at the SAG AFTRA Foundation offices for a 1:1 chat with the star of ABC’s popular crime procedural series, Will Trent. While a group panel has its challenges in making sure everyone gets a chance to speak, when doing a 1:1 chat, you want someone like Will Trent star, Ramon Rodriguez, who effortlessly answered all my questions about the show itself, his directing of episodes, what he does on his hiatus and not falling for my questions where I’m trying to find out what will happen in Season 5 when it airs next season. He’s a true gentleman and made my job very easy.

When Netflix asked me to moderate two panels on the same night, I knew both panels were with very funny people so my initial question was, “You don’t expect me to be funny, right?” (The answer was no) First, at the Netflix Tudum theater in Hollywood, I talked with Tom Segura 1:1 about the upcoming second season of his comedy series Bad Thoughts, which is full of the kind of comedy sketches that may make you wonder what you’re watching and if some lines are being crossed but I guarantee you will also laugh. Tom was great in explaining his process, if there’s ever a ‘we’ve gone too far’ moment and also teased the upcoming new episodes of his show, which drops May 24.

Here’s the trailer for Bad Thoughts:

Following the panel with Tom, we then had a bigger panel with Segura, Wanda Sykes, Jeff Ross, Mo Amer and Taylor Tomlinson. These are people at the top of their game with keen and hilarious observations about the world but for many of them, they also use their comedy to get very personal so you’ll laugh but also be touched by some of their personal stories. What helped with this panel was they’re all so naturally funny and just gelled together on the panel.

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The following weekend I was back to work for Netflix moderating one of their best new comedies to date, Big Mistakes. Co-created by and starring Dan Levy, the show follows a brother (Levy) and sister (Taylor Ortega) who end up working with the Turkish mob. The rest of the cast includes Laurie Metcalf, Jack Innanen, Boran Kuzum and Abby Quinn. There’s a real genre mix of great comedy with a crime thriller and while the panel showed just how close this cast was (and how funny they are together), another member on the panel was composer Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum, who, along with Peaches, made the music and sound in the shows incredibly memorable. The show has also already been renewed for a second season so if you haven’t watched yet, I highly recommend it.

And I’m not finished as I have a few more panels coming up including a panel filled with casting directors from the daytime dramas The Young and the Restless, Days of Our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful and Beyond the Gates. Then next week I’ll be moderating a panel with the cast of HBO Max’s The Comeback including Valerie Cherish herself, Lisa Kudrow and executive producer Michael Patrick King. Then on June 3, I’m talking to the cast of CBS’s hit legal drama Matlock with cast members including Kathy Bates, Skye P. Marshall, Jason Ritter and more! Yes, I’m excited.

Until next time…

That’s why this 4-episode adaptation from the BBC in partnership with Eleven Film and created and written by Jack Thorne, who created and wrote last year’s harrowing Adolescence, is a compelling watch and one that is still very present in my mind a few weeks after I watched. It’s also why the very relevant book continues to be read to this date as it’s impossible to not draw correlations between it and our own world.

All episodes for the series, which dropped earlier this month, were directed by Marc Munden (The Sympathizer) so there’s a consistency to the visuals, which are lush and beautiful at times but also equally jarring and horrifying. One series of moments that stands out to me in the series is when the young boys (early in the show and a few times throughout) simply stare directly at the camera setting a mood that will leave you both saddened for their situation but also scared at what some of the boys become in the course of the story. And did I mention it will be nearly impossible to look away?

Besides all of these things, what will keep you riveted are the amazing group of young actors. Remember when you watched newcomer Owen Cooper tackle such difficult material in Adolescence? You’ll feel the same way with the young men here as every performance by the Lord of the Flies cast is simply astounding.

Each episode is named after one of the four main boys - Piggy (David McKenna), Simon (Ike Talbut), Jack (Lox Pratt) and Ralph (Winston Sawyers) - you get up close and personal with these characters in particular, even getting seeds of backstory and other details that didn’t exist in the Golding book. For example, we never find out Piggy’s real name in the book but here we find out what it is and it actually adds another layer and a closeness between him and Ralph.

Also in the four episodes, you quickly see how the boys change being on this island and as the group gets divided, you can’t help but feel for Ralph, who wants to keep things orderly with a clear leader and feels only in working together can they survive. At the end of the third episode, the camera lingers on him as he sits on the beach, frozen and horrified at what has developed with all the boys who have followed Jack, who has drawn the majority by pushing an agenda of chaos and fun.

In case you’re like me and don’t fully remember how the book ends while watching, I won’t spoil things here but know that Lord of the Flies is a tough watch but also a satisfying one if you like a good story that reflects the world. It also comes with excellent filmmaking in terms of dialogue, direction, makeup, costume and cinematography from shooting in Malaysia. And the performances - all of these boys have a bright future with Lox Pratt, who plays Jack, already playing another iconic villainous role - Malfoy in the upcoming Harry Potter series for HBO Max.

In case you need more convincing to watch, here’s the official trailer for the series:

Until next time…

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Since David Letterman hosted Late Show before Colbert, he joined him last week to revisit a favorite segment from his show - throwing things off the top of the Ed Sullivan Theater. But this time it was CBS property just to make a more pointed statement about CBS’s decision to cancel Colbert.

Here’s the segment:

Letterman and Colbert also sat down for a chat, which was hilarious but also another pointed statement to how Letterman feels about CBS. Enjoy!

Until next time…

If you’re a man or woman of a certain age, you know your body has changed from when you were younger. You notice a few more aches and pains, you can’t just eat and drink whatever you want and bounce back the next day and the scale probably has higher numbers than you have ever seen before.

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Some of this is inevitable given natural aging but there’s also so much you can do to make your later years less taxing by fine tuning your exercise, diet and doing other things like (gasp!) drinking enough water.

Since I often call up my brother, Mike, a manager of a cardiac and pulminary rehab center in North Carolina, for advice or suggestions about my own health, I thought it was a good idea to share some of what he knows with you. So let’s dive right in and see the 11 Things Anyone Nearing 60s and Beyond Need to Do NOW for Their Health:

Did you enjoy the video? What did you learn that you hadn’t thought of before? Let me know in the comments!

It will be awhile since we get to see season 4 of HBO Max’s The White Lotus but since the Mike White-created drama just started filming in France during the Cannes Film Festival, I had the chance to talk locations and get more info than I was expecting from executive producer David Bernad for the Los Angeles Times. Then, just as we were about to post the storyline online (it will also be in the LAT’s first-ever Cannes print issue), we found out Helena Bonham Carter was leaving the show only a week into production and also that Laura Dern was joining in a role written especially for her. We got the news into the story, which you can check out everything here.

It’s that time of year when a lot of broadcast series are wrapping up their current seasons and CBS’s Matlock always has a good finale and cliffhanger. On May 23, the second season finale aired with the mystery that’s been a part of the show since it began in 2024 came to an end. I talked to executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman about what ending the Wellbrexa mystery means and where our characters will be when season 3 comes midseason in the 2026-27 season. Read the interview here.

And now let’s look through my April posts here on Coffee, TV & Me:

My first post about TV opening titles to skip or not skip did well in March so I threw together a follow-up. I love hearing from the passionate TV heads who, like me, love it when a show has a really well done opening title sequence.

There a lot of travel experts and vloggers out there and I was such a fan of BryGuides that I reached out to him to see if he’d be open to an interview to find out how he got into the world of travel and learning how to make your credit card points work for you. We had such a fun chat so check out the video of it here!

Finally, we heard news that the sixth season of The Chosen is coming later this year and while I wish it were sooner, at least we now know! I was actually on set for the sixth season filming so I can’t wait to start writing stories and for you to see the on-set video interviews I did with the cast. For now, here’s all your intel for how you can watch the sixth season of this fantastic drama series on Prime Video.

Until next time…

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I was reminded a few days ago (thanks, IPhone Memories!) that it was a year ago that I was flown courtesy of Prime Video to Athens, Greece, where the second season of their Biblical drama House of David was filming. I wrote stories for Emmy Magazine and TV Guide Magazine (the online version of that story is here) and I really had a memorable time being there and getting an inside look at the show’s production.

At the time of this set visit, the first season had just aired and was a big hit so there was a lot of excitement on set as the drama was going to be diving into what happened to David (Michael Iskander) after he slayed a certain giant named Goliath (Martyn Ford).

I haven’t used the gallery function before on Substack so I didn’t see how I could do individual captions for the photos so here they are going clockwise from the upper left photo.

1. Me on the set getting put to use to sweep!

2. On the set with King Saul’s throne with star Michael Iskander.

3. After talking with EP/director/writer Jon Gunn (left) and EP/director/writer/creator Jon Erwin.

4. At a rock quarry where they were filming close-ups during a battle with lots of horses and background/cast in costume. It was very fun to witness.

5. It was fun to chat with stars Ethan Kai (Jonathan, l) and Sam Otto (Eshbaal, r) since both characters go on quite a journey in season 2.

6. More from the rock quarry set where we beat the rain for the most part (a few drops fell but not enough to wash out my time there).

7. On another exterior set, I was able to see the beautiful work the production team has done and was given a tour by production designer Chad Krowchuk.

8. Another shot of me talking with Michael Iskander on King Saul’s throne set.

9. Of course, I had to sit in the throne. Wouldn’t you?

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We have yet to get word on whether House of David will be coming back for a third seaosn but I hope it does because of course I’d be down for another trip to Athens and, more importantly, it’s a very well done show and from the production team, to various crew members and the producers and cast, I was blown away by everyone’s generosity in welcoming me to the set. And, of course, thanks to Prime Video’s Laurel Gozzo for taking these photos and being a fantastic guide while I was there.

Have you watched the second season of House of David? The first two seasons are available to watch on Prime Video and the Wonder Project.

I need to do more research into my subject matter before I dive in.

My cat needs my attention more than my novel does.

I want to watch more YouTube videos on the best way to approach rewrites…and if I end up watching new BTS videos, so be it!

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Yes, it’s been just about 8 weeks since I wrote the words ‘The End’ at the end of the first draft of my first untitled novel. If you missed the post all about that, you can find it here. I knew I would take a month off just to get some distance from what I’d spent a few months churning out but once that time passed, my goal was to get started with the first step in my rewrite process - reading what I’ve written. I have 25 chapters so I figured I’d take a chapter a day, write some general notes as they come up but just to read what I had so I at least would have an idea if what I have is gold or shit or something in between.

But, of the sentences at the top of this post, the third one is the most legit as our nearly 12-year old cat Mango was going through health challenges that required frequent visits to the vet for IV treatments and a close watch on her kidney levels (the good news is she’s improved and we’re figuring out what we need to do for her to ensure a long life). Worrying about her was a constant for both me and Boyd so I wasn’t feeling necessarily clear enough to focus on much. I kept what I did have in my brain for the freelance writing assignments I actually had to get done.

The other sentences were things that were legit to a degree but since I’d found time to write the first novel while keeping up with freelance assignments and general life’s ups and downs, even I knew I was making excuses.

But, the good news, is that the novel has been regularly on my mind…a lot. I’m thinking about story choices I made, characters and how to make them better, a few plot points that I didn’t love and how to fix them and just looking at various movies and TV shows about grief as well as watching YouTube videos of Anderson Cooper’s All There Is podcast, which I highly recommend now more than ever. His latest guests like Robert Irwin, Ben Stiller and Sara Bareilles have been really insightful and moving.

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But, as busy and hectic as life can get, I’m very aware that the same fears that kept me from starting the novel in the first place are also very present as I know the next step is to tackle rewriting the novel. I have thought about writing a book for pretty much my entire life. I took a few stabs at it in my 20s but didn’t get very far and then go sidetracked by writing for TV and then writing about TV in my journalism career. And, trust me, I’m proud as hell of myself for getting a first draft done. I have been telling myself for years that I won’t regret if I never write for TV again or, for that matter, ever write about TV again but I would regret not writing a novel.

So, where does that leave me now? Honestly, feeling better today that I did a few weeks ago, which I’ll call a victory or at least progress. I’m also about to embark on a trip back to Los Angeles for work so I started printing out pages (!!!) and I’ll be taking them with me to read on the trip. Since I tend to work better on a schedule, I’ll devote at least an hour a day to looking at what I’ve got done and see how that goes. I hope to be busy in LA moderating FYC panels and also seeing my fellow journalists, PR folks, editors and, of course, friends but I know I’ll feel better if I spend a little time every day on the novel so that’s my plan.

This is all still unchartered territory and, as of now, I haven’t even thought about finding an agent, manager or an editor to see what I’ve got here. I’ll have a clearer sense of where I am once I get through this first rewrite. But, the good news? I’m going to do it, fear be damned. For now, the novel is mine and mine alone so I will worry about getting reactions and feedback down the road.

But, that said, feel free to send any encouragement. I have a feeling some days I’ll feel very empowered and driven while there may be other days when I’m feeling quite the opposite and can use any encouraging voices. Honestly, just writing this post helps and has me feeling like I am on the right track so thanks so much for reading and listening.

Until next time…

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I’ve always been a fan of a show that updates its opening titles with every new season and Outlander has not only given us different visuals for most of the seasons, its also given us a myriad of versions that have actually helped the show grow up as the adventures of Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) have moves through the years within the show. For its current eighth and final season, Annie Lennox has taken a turn at “The Skye Boat Song” (composed by Bear McCreary) and has worked her magic once again. Make sure to check out past opening titles by Sinead O’Connor (Season 7), Raya Yarbrough and Griogair.

Not ever good TV opening credits comes from a big hit and I’ve got a few for shows that didn’t last long but have stayed memorable. Anyone remember The WB’s Popular? It was the first series created by Ryan Murphy (with Gina Matthews) and was a lot of fun but, alas, only lasted two seasons (1999-2001). But, thanks to YouTube, the opening titles are even more fun when you see the familiar faces (Leslie Bibb, Chris Gorham, Leslie Grossman) that are still showing up in TV to this day.

If there’s one gone-too-soon shows that still hurts it’s ABC’s My So-Called Life, which only ran for 18 episodes from August 1994-January 2005. But the show gave us our first glimpse into the acting prowess of a teen Claire Dane, Jared Leto, the groundbreaking work of Wilson Cruz and a terrific opening that tells you exactly what this drama was all about.

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With the Netflix reboot of A Different World coming soon, let’s look back at the original sitcom, which needed a new opening credit sequence once star Lisa Bonet left the show after its first season. I think from the get-go, when Season 2 started, we quickly realized this spin-off would be just find on its own…and it was!

Since each season of HBO Max’s The White Lotus has featured a new cast and new location, it’s only fitting the opening credits also get a new spin. I personally loved Season 3’s version while the show was set in Thailand but let’s go back and see the first season’s credit sequence. And since Season 4 will be set in France, I can’t wait to hear the latest version!

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I really hated when TV show theme songs started getting shorter and shorter and, in some cases, non-existent but sometimes even a short opening titles can be very fitting and NBC’s Parks and Recreation is a perfect example. Pretend you don’t know the show at all but the first thing you see is the 20 second opening titles featuring a great song and this stellar cast. Doesn’t it make you want to watch?

It seems rather simple but its in that simplicity that the horror of Netflix’s Stranger Things creeps in. Composed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, the theme song also has a vintage vibe to it since the show is set in the 1980s. I love it.

I actually saw the opening titles for USA’s legal drama Suits on a few most-hated list of TV theme songs but I beg to differ! I always liked the “Greenback Bookie” theme song (by Ima Robot) when the show aired and this was before I even knew all the lyrics! During the time, I also moderated a few Suits panels with cast members on a college tour and hearing the crowd of Suits-lovers joyously singing it just made me love it more (plus, I finally knew the lyrics!). While you only see Gabriel Macht and Patrick J Adams in this opening, it still tells you that this is one cool show (we won’t hold Suits LA against it!).

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Another great opening that gives you a feel for the murder mystery series but, unless you haven’t been paying attention, adjustments are made to the visuals every season and often per episode as clues emerge in the current season’s mystery. Only Murders in the Building main title tune is called “Main Title” and was composed by Siddhartha Khosla.

Sitcom opening titles are some of my favorites and The Golden Girls rises above as one I would never skip and have never gotten tired of. Cynthia Fee sings this cover of the Andrew Gold hit song from 1978 and who can get tired of seeing Bea, Betty, Rue and Estelle?! Nobody!

#11 (Bonus!): Last time I did 70s sitcoms in a group so let’s look at 80s sitcoms with shows like Cheers, The Facts of Life, Diff’rent Strokes, Family Ties, Married…with Children, Growing Pains, The Cosby Show, Night Court, Bosom Buddies and Gimme a Break to name a few. What are some of your favorites?

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SKIP SKIP SKIP! Please, don’t waste your time watching these next opening titles, which sadly come with some really good shows! Do you agree?

Showtime’s drama series Homeland was so good…but not the theme song. I mean, Why??????

I may have thought the opening titles for Fox’s New Girl was cute for one or two viewings but it’s now like nails on a chalkboard. #sorrynotsorry

Yellowjackets: I just don’t even know what to say about this one. The song is annoying and the visuals are just not something I want to watch with every episode. Hard pass.

I know there are more bad theme songs out there. Help me out here — what are some you can’t stand and skip every time?

Until next time…

But, like everyone out there, I sit at my laptop and play around with travel itineraries, dates to travel as well as comparing costs and figuring out how to get the most out of the frequent flier and credit card points I have stored up. Also, how can I use my points to get me upgraded to business class, which is a wonderful thing when you’re traveling more than 12 hours in the air. I’m good to do this research for maybe 45 min to an hour before my brain just shuts down and I can’t look anymore. Help!

One of the travel influencers I’ve been watching for awhile know is Bry and his company BryGuides, which is a terrific source for not only planning your trips but making your credit cards work for you in terms of helping you travel in style but also take advantage of a lot of the perks that often come with certain cards.

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I reached out to Bry recently to see if he’d chat with me since I know he’s helped me think about my travel in a different way and as I looked over his website and his posts on social media (predominantly on Instagram), he offers up so much great advice as well as some of his posts just sharing the eye candy he sees on his worldly travels.

Here’s our recent chat where Bry shared his origins in traveling and how he made it his full-time job as well as tips on how he can help you save time and money with traveling as well as the best credit cards to use.

Did you get some good advice in our video? Let me know how you approaching planning a trip and taking advantage of some of the credit cards points. I’m still learning so I want to know!

Until next time…

That said, the wait for The Chosen’s upcoming sixth season is very real. The last time we saw new episodes of the Biblical drama, it was June 2025 when “The Last Supper” season ended with Jesus Christ (Jonathan Roumie) being arrested, which we already know will lead into a sixth season focusing on the crucifixion.

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A little good news is that on Friday, Prime Video announced the exclusive premiere date for season six of the series created by Dallas Jenkins and starring Roumie, Shahar Isaac, Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel, Noah James, George H. Xanthis, Jordan Walker Ross, Alaa Safi, Austin Reed Alleman, Luke Dimyan, Amber Shana Williams, Joey Vahedi, Abe Bueno-Jallad, Giavani Cairo, Richard Fancy, Paul Ben-Victor, Andrew James Allen and Vanessa Benavente. Along with the release date was a teaser image of Jesus Christ carrying the cross, as we’ll see in the new season.

But, as fans of The Chosen have become used to with episodes airing in theaters prior to dropping on TV, the rollout for episodes that will begin on November 15, 2026 will again be anything but traditional.

Per the release, the first three episodes of the sixth season drops exclusively on Prime Video on November 15 with subsequent single episodes dropping weekly through December 6. Then, the season finale will be a standalone movie in theaters coming in Spring 2027. (No airdate for a TV airing for the finale as of yet.) The new season will also be available on Prime Video in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Sub-Saharan Africa, the UK, and Latin America. The first five seasons of The Chosen are also now streaming on Prime Video.

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Per the press release, Dallas Jenkins, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of 5&2 Studios and Creator/Executive Producer of The Chosen, said, “Everyone knows the basics of this part of the story, but not everyone knows the ‘why’ of the crucifixion and the extraordinary events of these 24 hours.” He adds, “We realized this not only deserved a season of television but a standalone full-length theatrical event as well. We wrote and filmed all of it with this in mind.”

Per the release, The Chosen is a groundbreaking historical drama based on the life of Jesus, seen through the eyes of those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the seven-season series shares an authentic and intimate look at Jesus’ revolutionary life and teachings. With over 300 million viewers, The Chosen is one of the most-watched series in the world, produced by 5&2 Studios and written, directed, and produced by Dallas Jenkins.

In 2025, Amazon MGM Studios inked a first-look multi-faceted deal with 5&2 Studios. The wide-ranging deal provides streaming rights to the first five seasons of The Chosen, the new unscripted series The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls, The Chosen Adventures, and Joseph of Egypt for Prime Video. The pact also includes theatrical and streaming rights to The Chosen’s upcoming final two seasons, which will follow the crucifixion (Season Six) and the resurrection (Season Seven). Lionsgate handles global distribution for The Chosen and The Chosen In The Wild with Bear Grylls.

Until next time…