Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western family drama series “The Madison” debuting on Paramount+ and the animated smash “Zootopia 2” landing on Disney+ are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: The Academy Awards streaming on Hulu, Nicole Kidman bringing crime writer Patricia Cornwell’s famed forensic pathologist character Kay Scarpetta to life in a new series and Kim Gordon’s third solo album, “Play Me.”

New movies to stream from March 9-15

— After collecting $1.85 billion in box office, the Disney animated smash hit “Zootopia 2” comes to Disney+ on Wednesday. The film, a sequel to 2016’s “Zootopia,” follows the continuing adventures of rabbit police officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and her partner fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman). In their new case, the arrival of a mysterious viper (Key Huy Quan) leads to new revelations about the animal metropolis. In my review, I called it “a more timid and tame movie that leans largely on the (still winning) duo of Hopps and Wilde.”

— For the first time, the Oscars will be streamed. In addition to the live broadcast on ABC beginning at 7 p.m. EDT Sunday, March 15, the 97th Academy Awards will be streamed on Hulu. The show will be available to all subscribers, and not require a cable subscription. (The Oscars are moving to YouTube, but not until 2029.) That also means this week is your last chance to catch up on the nominees, most of which are streaming. That includes: “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another,” “Weapons” and “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” on HBO Max; “Frankenstein,” “Train Dreams,” “KPop Demon Hunters” and “Blue Moon” on Netflix; “Bugonia,” “Hamnet” and “Song Sung Blue” on Peacock; “F1” on Apple TV+; and “The Secret Agent” and “It Was Just an Accident” on Hulu.

— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

New music to stream on March 13

— On Friday, Kim Gordon — a revolutionary force in the alternative rock band Sonic Youth, the ’80s New York no wave scene and the space between art and noise — will release her third solo album, “Play Me,” as The Associated Press exclusively announced back in January. It follows the Grammy nominated “The Collective,” her beat-heavy 2024 album that surprised and delighted audiences with its oddball trap blasts. “Play Me” shares in that spirit. It’s full of propulsive production and confrontational songs that possess a keen ability to process and reflect the world. Start with the castigation of convenience culture and passive listening on its title track. Stay for “Subcon,” an examination of the world’s growing billionaire class and their fascination with space colonialization in a period of economic insecurity.

— To call them veterans almost feels like too slight a word. Giants of the American heavy metal Lamb of God will release their tenth studio album, “Into Oblivion” on Friday. The title is a reflection of how frontman Randy Blythe sees the current state of the affairs — an appropriate launchpad for 10-tracks of ferocity.

— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

New series to stream from March 9-15

— “Sesame Street” drops four new episodes Monday on Netflix. The legacy preschool show found a new home on the streamer ahead of its current 56th season.

— Netflix’s live-action adventure series “One Piece” returns for its second season on Tuesday. It’s based on a massively popular Japanese manga series by Eiichiro Oda. The show follows a young man named Monkey D. Luffy whose dream in life is to be a pirate. In Season One, Luffy recruited his fellow pirates called the Straw Hats. In Season Two, Luffy and his crew set out to find treasure in a dangerous stretch of water called the Grand Line. There are eight episodes in “One Piece: Into the Grand Line.”

— Nicole Kidman brings crime writer Patricia Cornwell’s famed forensic pathologist character Kay Scarpetta to life in a new series out Wednesday. The story unfolds over two timelines: Scarpetta as a younger woman played by Rosy McEwen and in present day, played by Kidman. Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Ariana DeBose, Jake Cannavale and Hunter Parrish also star.

— Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western family drama “The Madison” debuts on Paramount+ on Saturday, March 14. At its center is the Clyburn family of New York, led by matriarch Stacy Clyburn ( Michelle Pfeiffer ) who moves her family to Montana after a tragedy. Kurt Russell, Patrick J. Adams, Matthew Fox and Beau Garrett also have roles. A second season has already filmed.

— Alicia Rancilio

New video games to play from March 9-15

— When you want to hunt monsters, there’s Monster Hunter. When you want to team up with monsters, there’s Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, the new chapter in Capcom’s spinoff series. Once you join forces with a beast, you can fly around on it and fight other creatures — though you might want to think twice before tackling the “Calamitous Elder Dragons.” The story itself revolves around two warring kingdoms on the verge of apocalypse, and the gameplay is the kind of turn-based combat you’d expect in a classic role-playing adventure. Take flight Friday, March 13, on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 or PC.

— Lou Kesten

Recently, Steve Carell had a misunderstanding with his adult daughter over whether or not to give her a ride home. While both preferred she take an Uber, they agreed Carell could go hours out of his way to drive her instead — thinking it was what the other really wanted to do. His wife, Nancy, eventually stepped in, telling them to stop “acting like idiots” and to just be honest. That’s when Carell realized he was “trying too hard” to do what he thought was a good dad deed.

“She would really have preferred to take the Uber and I would really have preferred to just go home without dropping her off,” Carell said in a recent interview.

That type of push and pull between a father and his adult daughter is at the center of Carell’s new series “Rooster,” premiering Sunday on HBO. Carell plays Greg Russo, a successful author of “beach reads” whose protagonist is named Rooster. When Greg’s daughter Katie (Charly Clive), a professor at Ludlow College, finds herself in the middle of a humiliating breakup, he takes a job at the small liberal arts school to stay close to her.

The series, created by Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, is Carell’s first outright television comedy since leaving “The Office” in 2011.

Carell said he was already a fan of Lawrence but reading the pilot episode was all he needed to be “in instantly.” He loved the tone and how unique it was.

Making simple moments funny

Casting Carell to be the lead in your comedy is like winning the lottery, says Tarses. “You’re excited, you get this guy, and then he exceeds your expectations, and then, he’s a nicer guy than you think.”

They credit Carell for taking moments that weren’t meant to be funny and adding comedic touches, like when Greg folds his puffy coat before handing it to an attendant at a party.

In another scene, Katie explains to Greg why she has a problem with him being at the school. As she speaks, Carell opted to eat a handful of corn nuts, causing a noisy distraction.

“We had to turn the volume down,” said Lawrence. “I could have watched it for two hours.”

New and returning comedic talent

While Carell is making a return to comedy with “Rooster,” Danielle Deadwyler, known for dramatic roles like “Till” and “The Piano Lesson,” is making her debut in the genre. She plays a poetry professor who finds herself promoted to dean.

“I needed something to balance me out and to allow my nervous system to recoup itself after years of drama,” said Deadwyler, who says she’s learned that comedic acting is still “just acting” and a “through line of everything is the need to stay extremely grounded.”

John C. McGinley of “ Scrubs, ” plays the president of Ludlow College with a penchant for gossip. He invites faculty and students to partake in a backyard cold plunge and sauna as a sort of “safe space” for sharing feelings.

It’s a daily ritual in McGinley’s own life that he’s been doing for about 25 years. Lawrence knew this about McGinley and decided to make it a regular practice for his character. “One of Billy’s biggest strengths is he writes from familiarity,” said McGinley.

Phil Dunster is Archie, Katie’s narcissistic estranged husband. He already had a relationship with Lawrence from working on “ Ted Lasso. ” Like Carell, Dunster was impressed by the script.

“When I read the script, it was just like, ‘Oh man, I wanna watch this show.’ I think that’s a really nice feeling when you have come across something that you go, ‘Oh, I’d love to watch this.’”

Quirky characters who command the screen

A hallmark of a Bill Lawrence show is that there are quirky supporting characters who end up becoming a running joke throughout the series and “Rooster” is no different. There’s a police officer who often misplaces his gun and an administrative assistant who throws herself at Greg when no one is watching.

Lawrence says “part of the fun is just kind of leaning into the curve of what’s working” and being open to writing more about those characters, big or small, who pop on screen.

“The only hassle with this show is too many things, at least to us, are working, and now we have to figure out a way to keep this whole world of people together, because they’re all blowing up,” he said.

MIAMI (AP) — Rachael Ray isn’t sick. Her marriage is healthy, too. And yes, she’s still on TV.

Rumors have swirled around the woman who gave us 30-minute meals since she stepped away from her daily show. But that hasn’t diminished her thrill at rolling through her mid-50s still cooking on television and still pulling crowds for beachside burger parties.

Welcome to Ray’s third act, the recipe for which is equal parts serendipity and returning to her hands-in-pans roots.

Three years ago, the woman who turned culinary effervescence, EVOO and garbage bowls into a media empire stepped away from the Food Network and her syndicated daytime talk show. Today, she acknowledges, “It can be hard to find me.”

Ray sat down with the AP recently during a break from events at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival to talk about what’s next, what keeps her going and why she doesn’t care about her legacy.

“I’ll be dead, so who cares?” She said that a lot, actually. About her critics. About the gossip. About whether people today get her and her decisions.

Except, clearly she does care. Particularly about the thread common to it all — giving people kitchen confidence. She once described her cooking as the food equivalent of a pop song. Which sounds flip. But when your entire career is built around breaking barriers to food, the easy digestibility of pop is an apt analogy.

“That was the message I wanted to bring to people. Don’t be scared of this,” she said. “If it doesn’t come out all right, who cares? It’s just dinner.”

From store demos to TV celebrity

The story of Ray’s rise is well-trod. Young woman from upstate New York gets noticed while doing food demos at an upscale grocery store, lands a gig on the Food Network demystifying cooking with a focus on fast and affordable, parlays that into a daytime show backed by Oprah Winfrey, and in short order she and her rat-a-tat Yum-o!-punctuated vernacular — not to mention her knives, books, pans, magazine, pet food and all manner of other products — were ubiquitous.

Then, in 2023 — after 17 seasons on daytime TV — she jarred fans by walking away from much of it, a decision she’d been quietly considering for years. Network television brought with it armies of executives and lawyers.

“I just didn’t want to do that anymore. I didn’t want to live by committee,” she said. “I wanted to focus more on food the way I want to teach it, talking to people I want to talk to, and being just me.”

Stepping out of the limelight

To many, she seemed to slow down or even disappear. After fire destroyed her home in upstate New York and flooding ruined her city apartment, she moved much of her life to Italy. A podcast was started, then quietly shuttered. All amid rumors of failing health and marriage.

Moved under the radar might be more accurate than slowed down. But let’s start with the gossip.

“We’re very volatile people. We’re loud, and then we’re lovey dovey, and I think we confuse a lot of folks because of that,” she said of her marriage to musician and lawyer John Cusimano. “I have a great marriage. My health is fine. I lift weights every morning, 4 o’clock, you know. I’m doing just fine.”

As for slowing down?

After ending her daytime show — the only thing she misses is the energy of the live audience — she created her own production company, Free Food Studios, an effort to control her content (sans layers of lawyers) and launch new talent. A&E soon acquired a 50% stake in it and ordered hundreds of episodes, including several new series starring Ray.

“People tell me on the plane or at the airport or at the grocery store, ‘Oh, I miss your show so much!’ And I’m like, I have many! You know, look on YouTube or look at A&E or look at Disney or Hulu,” she said. “It rotates through all these different platforms now, so it’s harder for people to find.”

In fact, her “Meals in Minutes” recently was renewed for more than 100 new episodes, and she’s producing two additional shows with other stars. Meanwhile, she’s planning an eighth humanitarian trip to Ukraine — she’s been collaborating on them with José Andrés since early in the war — recently launched her own gin, and still sells plenty of pots and pans and pet foods, the latter of which helps fund The Rachael Ray Foundation, which has donated $140 million to animal welfare and nutritional advocacy groups.

Crashing the chefs’ A-list

Today, culinary pedigrees among food celebrities are few and far between, making the early critiques of Ray — She’s not a serious cook! She’s not a chef! — seem quaint, sexist, maybe both. She’s thankful social media has lowered the bar for entry to her world, saying fresh faces no longer need money, connections, a culinary degree or blind luck to get noticed.

What hasn’t changed is the way aging women are judged, particularly when they have the audacity to do so as a public figure. Her appearance has been a hot topic in recent years, but Ray said she refuses to join the beauty bandwagon. “I tried Botox here (pointing at her eyebrows) years ago,” she said. “And I just looked sort of shocked or something. And I thought, this isn’t you.”

At this year’s South Beach festival’s Burger Bash, which Ray has hosted for two decades — consuming some 568 burgers over the years, but who’s counting? — crowds swarmed her with stories of growing up on her recipes and shows. At a private dinner the next night, 20-plus people paid $500 each to clamor as she served pasta alle vongole and told family stories while Cusimano mixed cocktails.

“Honey! I’m talking too much! This got hot!” Ray said, handing him a Martinez cocktail to refresh. “I don’t drink a hot cocktail. I almost never drink the second half of my cocktail.” The crowd of mostly middle-aged women nodded enthusiastically, clearly adopting a new Ray-endorsed rule to foist on their own spouses.

“I love the fact that it’s still relevant that I come here,” Ray said. “I’m a woman in her mid-50s that’s still employed, still making programming, and still can book an event and have thousands of people come out. That means a lot to me.”

What comes next?

“I like not knowing,” she said. “I like watching things evolve and discovering what’s next for myself. So there’s no plan. There’s no road map.”

J.M. Hirsch is a food and travel journalist, and the former food editor for The Associated Press.

The LA city council voted unanimously on Wednesday to designate the the so-called “ Brady Bunch ” house in the San Fernando Valley as a historic-cultural monument.

The vote grants landmark protections to the house on Dilling Avenue that was used for exterior shots of the TV sitcom that ran from 1969 to 1974.

Interior scenes were shot on a soundstage, with sets that bore no resemblance to the property that become a photo-op magnet for “Brady Bunch” fans.

The show, which lived on for decades in syndication, featured the comic travails of a family of six blended-family siblings — “the youngest one in curls,” as the theme song explained.

The shingle-and-stone home with a peaked roof also appeared in the 1995 big screen film “The Brady Bunch Movie” and its sequel.

The landmark status protects the home, built in 1959, from demolition or major renovations — but doesn’t prohibit them. If owners ever decide to make big changes, they would be subject to a design review and the Cultural Heritage Commission can delay the process to find preservation solutions.

The nonprofit LA Conservancy pushed for the landmark status and CEO Adrian Scott Fine said he was thrilled it was approved. He said fans of the show have a personal connection to the property.

“If you watched the ‘Brady Bunch,’ you knew this house. People make a pilgrimage to see it,” Fine said Wednesday. “To have it designated like this, it makes it all the sweeter.”

When the house went on the market in 2018, the cable network HGTV won a bidding war that drove the price up to $3.5 million — or $1.6 million over the listing price for the then-2,400-square-foot residence.

The house was expanded, remodeled and redecorated to give it trademark elements of the set version, including the wood-paneled living room with a floating staircase and an orange-and-green kitchen.

The process was documented in a four-part HGTV miniseries called “A Very Brady Renovation.”

Gayle King, the most high-profile star at CBS News, has signed a new deal with the network.

A CBS News representative said Wednesday the division reached an agreement with King, 71, to continue as co-host of “CBS Mornings” co-host but did not reveal the length or the terms. Her current deal was set to end in May.

King’s future at the program came into question last fall after the arrival of CBS News Editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. There were leaks to the trades and tabloid press that parent company Paramount was looking to trim King’s salary or reduce her role at the network as a means to cut costs.

“Rumors of my demise were inaccurate and greatly exaggerated,” King said in a statement. “CBS News is my longtime home, and I am committed to our mission. I’m excited about continuing at CBS Mornings. As always, I’m open to new adventures here and ready to go. It took a minute, but we got there. And now that we are here, I am all in.”

King is the highest paid on-air talent at CBS News, earning an annual eight-figure salary.

Known for her effusive charm, King apparently won Weiss over.

“There is only one Gayle King,” Weiss said in a statement. “We’re so proud that she’ll continue to call CBS home. We’re thrilled to have her on in the morning—and equally excited to work with her on new, enterprising projects that bring her talents to new audiences.”

While King is locked in for at least another year, there is a search underway for at least one new co-host on the program.

King’s current co-host is Nate Burleson, who is also an analyst for CBS Sports. The network has not permanently replaced Tony Dokoupil, who left “CBS Mornings” in January to take over as anchor of the “CBS Evening News.”

King joined CBS News in 2012, when she joined “CBS This Morning.” As co-hosts alongside Charlie Rose and Norah O’Donnell, the program experienced five consecutive years of ratings growth.

“CBS This Morning” was adrift after Rose — a major audience draw — was ousted over sexual harassment allegations. In 2021, it was renamed “CBS Mornings,” with King taking a more prominent role.

“CBS Mornings” ranks third in ratings behind NBC’s “Today” and ABC’s “Good Morning America,” but remains a significant revenue generator for CBS News.

©2026 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Bride!” hits theaters this weekend, another take on the Frankenstein story that’s more about other Frankenstein movies than the original text itself. “Bride of Frankenstein” was always a cinematic creation anyway, arriving as a sequel film in 1935 to James Whale’s 1931 “Frankenstein,” so it stands to reason that Gyllenhaal’s movie would pay homage to Hollywood’s love affair with Dr. Frankenstein and his monster.

So if “The Bride!” has you in a Frankenstein mood, or wanting to explore more about this book and the many, many movies inspired by it, here’s a primer on where to watch some of the most iconic representations of the Frankenstein story.

Of course there’s the two aforementioned James Whale films from the 1930s, “Frankenstein,” starring Boris Karloff as the Creature, and “Bride of Frankenstein” in which Elsa Lanchester plays both Mary Shelley and the Bride. Rent “Frankenstein” on iTunes or Amazon, and stream “Bride of Frankenstein” on HBO Max.

Oddly enough, “The Bride!” could be seen as a companion or sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” which came out just last fall, and is a major player at the Academy Awards on March 15, including Jacob Elordi, who is nominated for best supporting actor for his performance as the Creature. Probably the most faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley’s book, like all of del Toro’s films, there is a deep well of empathy for the “monster” in this movie, captured largely by Elordi’s sensitive performance. This ravishing film also stars Oscar Isaac, Christoph Waltz and Mia Goth. Stream it on Netflix.

Don’t forget the other faithful adaptation of the book — Kenneth Branagh’s 1994 film “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein,” starring Branagh as Victor Frankenstein and Robert De Niro as the Creature, with Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Hulce, Aidan Quinn, Ian Holm and John Cleese in supporting roles. Stream it on HBO Max.

The great Mel Brooks put his own comedic stamp on the Frankenstein story with his “Young Frankenstein” in 1974 (referenced in Gyllenhaal’s film too). Co-written with star Gene Wilder, who starred as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of Victor Frankenstein. Peter Boyle stars as the Monster, with Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr and Madeline Kahn playing memorable supporting roles. “Young Frankenstein” is available to stream on YouTube TV.

Other films have attempted to reckon with the woman writer herself and her fascinating life, most notably in the 2017 film “Mary Shelley,” starring Elle Fanning as Mary Shelley and directed by Haifaa al-Mansour. Stream it on Kanopy, Shudder, or rent it on other digital platforms.

There are also the films that engage with the ideas from Shelley’s text without explicitly adapting it, such as Laura Moss’ incredible modern take on the fable, “Birth/Rebirth” from 2023. Judy Reyes stars as an obstetrics nurse in a Queen hospital who loses her daughter to the sudden onset of meningitis, while Marin Ireland co-stars as a strange pathologist who suggests there may be another way. The film is deeply disturbing and an almost perfect modern, feminist update on “Frankenstein.” Stream it on Hulu, Kanopy and Shudder.

And for something a little more pleasant, aimed at younger audiences, check out the charming British animated film “Stitch Head,” which is sort of a mashup of “Frankenstein” and “Nightmare Alley.” Even younger audiences can learn the lessons of what it’s like to feel different or like “a monster” in a world that judges appearances. Rent “Stitch Head” on all digital platforms.

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©2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

“You are a work in progress,” Sherlock Holmes is told late in “Young Sherlock,” Prime Video’s new origin series about the world’s greatest detective. And it’s true: He’s young, irreverent, self-assured to the point of arrogance. (Though, to be fair, he’d be those latter descriptors no matter the age.)

“Young Sherlock,” though, is anything but a work in progress. Directed by Guy Ritchie, the eight-part series premiering Wednesday is, like its namesake, simply brilliant, a fusion of witty banter, clever humor and punchy action that keeps you on the edge of your horse-drawn carriage seat from start to finish.

Adapted from Andrew Lane’s “Young Sherlock Holmes” book series, which itself is based on the works of Arthur Conan Doyle, “Young Sherlock” opens with a mystery — quickly followed by a prison yard fistfight featuring none other than one 19-year-old Sherlock (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). That blend of cerebral and physical, a repeating motif in “Young Sherlock,” is standard operating procedure for the hit-or-miss Ritchie, who also directed 2009’s fantastic “Sherlock Holmes” and 2011’s slightly overstuffed “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.”

But he doesn’t miss here. In fact, “Young Sherlock” is his best work in years. The series oozes with his signature style, from its blistering pacing and well-choreographed action sequences to its whip-smart humor and high regard for competence. (It wouldn’t hurt to brush up on your Shakespeare and Machiavelli and Sun Tzu.) But more than anything, it’s just unadulterated fun. There are mysteries to solve, secret locations (and passageways!) to discover, random stuff to blow up or set on fire — and it’s all infused with infectious charm and heart.

But back to those mysteries, the core of any good Holmes story — and what a good one we have here. Set in 1870s Victorian England, there are the murders of Oxford professors. And a Chinese princess with secrets aplenty and a talent for close-quarters combat. And a mother distraught with grief sent away to an asylum, who says “they” are listening to her every word. How do these all intersect — and, more important, how does it all involve Sherlock?

As the episodes progress, Ritchie and showrunner Matthew Parkhill weave a tale of intrigue that delights in surprising you. A perfect example: the portrayal of James Moriarty. A criminal mastermind long described as Holmes’ archenemy, in “Young Sherlock,” James is just an Oxford student — until his path crosses Sherlock’s and the two become close friends. Played by a show-stealing Dónal Finn, James at first comes across as a more charming version of Sherlock. But he’s so much more than he seems, and the interplay between him and Sherlock — centered on morality, ethics and whether the ends justify the means — is the highlight of the show. That Fiennes Tiffin and Finn share a crackling chemistry is just the cherry on top.

And Finn isn’t the only well-cast actor. Zine Tseng gives a chameleonlike performance as Princess Gulun Shou’an, while Natascha McElhone will break your heart as Cordelia, Sherlock’s mother. Max Irons is pitch-perfect as Sherlock’s older brother Mycroft (their constant needling of each other always ending with “brother dear” is an absolute delight), and Colin Firth is clearly having a blast as the loathsome Bucephalus Hodge, one of Britain’s richest men. (And each and every one of these characters is dressed to the nines, rocking color-coordinated three-piece suits and stunning dresses, thanks to costume designer Jany Temime.)

All of that is set to a punk- and rock-heavy soundtrack (Flogging Molly’s “Devil’s Dance Floor” may be the best needle drop for a British fistfight ever) and Ritchie’s typical cinematic flair. Expect plenty of stylish transitions and flourishes throughout, including my favorite: the visual representation of Sherlock’s mental calculations.

Early in “Young Sherlock,” there’s a toast to Sherlock and his “extraordinary future.” How prescient that would become. On its own, this series is a fantastic must-watch, but what a shame it would be if it didn’t get more seasons (which the final episode sets up). With “Young Sherlock,” the game is afoot, and here’s hoping it continues to be.

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‘YOUNG SHERLOCK’

How to watch: On Prime Video March 4

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©2026 The Seattle Times. Visit seattletimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

NEW YORK (AP) — Padma Lakshmi is back in the kitchen with a knives-out cooking competition, and this time the stakes are higher — for the contestants and for her.

The former host of Bravo’s “Top Chef” lands on network prime time hosting and judging the CBS show “America’s Culinary Cup,” which boasts the largest cash prize in culinary television history — $1 million.

“This is about my love and appreciation and respect for chefs, especially after what the restaurant industry in this country and everywhere has gone through after COVID-19,” she says.

The network has given the show the coveted spot after “Survivor” on Wednesdays. It launches Wednesday and episodes also stream on Paramount+.

Whereas “Top Chef” pitted up-and-comers against each other, the first season of “America’s Culinary Cup” has invited 16 men and women who are at the peak of their culinary powers.

Who’s on the show?

The inaugural class includes six Michelin star chefs, two James Beard winners, 14 James Beard nominees, three Food + Wine best new chefs, two Bocuse d’Or medalists and multiple “Top Chef” winner Buddha Lo.

“I’m not judging them on who they are, or where they come from, or where their pedigree is,” says Lakshmi. “All of that might have been what got them in the door. I am judging them by the plate of food they put in front of me.”

Lakshmi is joined on the judge’s table by three-Michelin star and fish specialist Michael Cimarusti and molecular gastronomy pioneer Wylie Dufresne.

“These guys are looking at it as professional chefs, having so many decades under their belt of doing this at a very, very high, high level,” she says. “I am the audience’s representative.”

Fittingly for a show that makes its debut after “Survivor,” there’s a bit of that show’s DNA in the new one, with the chefs making strategic decisions about who competes against the others and the need to make allies.

“It’s a show that I think will really appeal to people who like ‘Survivor’ or ‘The Amazing Race,’” says Lakshmi. “We were definitely conscious, obviously, of who we’re going on after and also what works on CBS. I’d be a fool not to be.”

High production values

One early tip that “America’s Culinary Cup” is an upscale cooking competition show is a shot of Lakshmi sauntering out of a helicopter in an asymmetrical yellow gown. The sprawling workstations in the communal kitchen have plenty of marble and all kinds of top-notch kitchen toys are available — like wood-fired ovens and smoking guns.

The initial chefs invited hail from 10 states — California, North Carolina, Arizona, Illinois, Colorado, New York, Virginia, Texas, Wyoming and Connecticut. One postponed her wedding to compete, one is pregnant and one was formerly incarcerated.

“The accolades and the talent and the awards and everything else that all of these people walk through the door with, in a way they had to hang them up when they entered the kitchen because it was all about what they were able to do that day, in that moment, in that challenge,” says Cimarusti.

The first episode is particularly brutal, with four contestants eliminated. The 16 chefs’ first challenge is to cook their defining dish and then they go head-to-head, judged on taste, creativity, presentation and technique.

“You’re in the big leagues now,” Lakshmi tells them.

The dishes that come out include Singapore Chili Crab and Thai Curry, Sous Vide Hamachi with Scallop and Turnip, and Ras El Hanout Duck Breast with a Miso-Harissa Glazed Cabbage.

‘The finest detail’

Eight who lost the first round go head-to-head making classic American dishes — fried chicken, clam chowder, shrimp and grits and beef stroganoff — to determine the four going home, prompting the weekly slogan, “You served your final dish.”

In later episodes, the contestants must prove their mastery of 10 Culinary Commandments: meat preparation, innovation, culinary science & tech, flavors, sustainability, vegetables, sauces, world cuisine, consistency and dessert.

The level of excellence in the kitchen is very high and the judges have their work cut out for them separating the better dishes. A pinch of salt or a splash of citrus makes the difference between staying and going home.

“It’s like any good competition at the very highest level, whether it’s football or professional golf or tennis or whatever, at the end of the day, it just comes down to the finest detail,” says Cimarusti.

The judges say that while they may know some of the contestants, their mentors or know the restaurants they worked in, they will not let any of that sway their decisions.

“I take my judging very seriously,” Lakshmi says. “There’s a lot of money on the line. It’s $1 million. And so, as the creator of the show, as an executive producer, there’s nothing more important to me than the fairness of this competition because my name’s on it.”

Dufresne says the judges are looking to the ultimate taste and whether the chef nailed the weekly assignment. After all, good knife skills can’t camouflage a poor dish.

“We’re splitting such a fine hair that we are sometimes on either side of that hair,” he says, jokingly adding: “That, again, is a testament to the caliber of the contestants and the fact that I’m usually right and Michael’s wrong.”

Whatever the reason, the ’90s are back, aided by more objective prestige than the days of VHS tapes and disposable cameras might initially conjure.

News broke Monday that Ryan Coogler, the critically and commercially acclaimed “Sinners” auteur tapped for a Best Director Oscar at next month’s ceremony, will be rebooting “The X-Files” for Hulu, with BAFTA nominee Danielle Deadwyler starring.

Chris Carter, creator of the original Emmy-winning series starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, a pair of FBI agents probing the paranormal, said in 2023 that Coogler was planning to “remount ‘The X Files’ with a diverse cast.”

The Disney-owned streamer will also be the home of the “continuation” of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” helmed by Oscar-winning “Nomadland” filmmaker Chloé Zhao, who is also nominated at this year’s Oscars for directing “Hamnet.” Sarah Michelle Gellar will reprise the titular role in what she has said is “not a sequel” and “not a reboot.”

Streamers aren’t the only ones dipping their toes into the deep end of ’90s IP.

Variety reported this month that Fox is rebooting “Baywatch.” That one though remains a bit of a head scratcher, given the 18% critical approval rating of the 2017 film adaptation. As of Thursday, the network hosted a casting call that attracted 2,000 hopefuls ready to save the sun-soaked day.

But will the revitalization of these properties simply use the names blessed — or burdened — with built-in fanbases, or will they hearken back to the era in which they first made waves?

The pendulum has swung in myriad ways since the days Pamela Anderson was running to the rescue in a red one-piece. In recent years, the “Baywatch” alum, 58, has spoken at length about the journey to reclaiming her identity from her over-sexualized image at the turn of the century.

“And Just Like That…” — the oft-derided yet widely watched “Sex and the City” spinoff — made a concerted effort to update its plot and characters for today’s sensibilities, to varying degrees of success.

While critics would likely argue “The X-Files” is in far more deft and capable hands with Coogler than, say, those of Michael Patrick King, it remains to be seen whether the impulse to revisit existing properties is simply for the sake of nostalgia.

Could that then be the reason for the success of “The Pitt?” The Emmy-winning HBO hit can’t legally call itself an “ER” spin-off, even if it comes about as close as one can — down to sharing a star in Noah Wyle, who initially hoped to reprise his role as Dr. John Carter in a direct sequel.

One striking similarity no one can deny about the two medical sensations is their week-to-week impact.

Instead of dropping multiple episodes at once to facilitate a binge, “The Pitt” living on HBO means fans wait for updates week-to-week.

While most streaming shows — and, really, most prestige shows — contain 5 to 10 episodes per season, with seasons premiering between 1 to 4 years apart, the first two seasons of “The Pitt,” contain 15 episodes apiece and premiered in January 2025 and 2026. Just like traditional television, the third season is already slated to premiere early next year, like clockwork.

Are these returns to form, both in the way of content and viewing, just channeling older sensibilities? Or are they proof that today’s viewer wants something, anything, to hold onto that signals to a more familiar, more comfortable time?

Paramount Chairman David Ellison laid out his vision for taking over Warner Bros. Discovery, including combining the two streaming services — HBO Max and Paramount+, which together boast more 200 million subscribers.

“The combination … really puts us in a position to be able to compete with all the leading players in the space,” Ellison said during a Monday morning investor call, which came after Paramount stunned the industry late last week by pulling off the $110-billion takeover, which Ellison and his team had pursued for six months.

Ellison ticked off some of the popular franchises that Paramount, which owns “Mission: Impossible,” and “Top Gun,” will inherit with Warner Bros., which has the rights to Harry Potter, “Lord of the Rings,” DC Comics and “Game of Thrones.”

Key to the success of the new giant will be propelling streaming growth so the firm can be more competitive with Netflix, which has 325 million subscribers worldwide, and Walt Disney Co. and Amazon Prime Video.

The combined company also must manage its enormous portfolio of linear television networks, which would include Paramount’s CBS and Nickelodeon, and Warner Bros.’ CNN, TNT, and the Food Network.

Industry-wide, cable channels have been losing steam amid the migration to streaming. Paramount relies heavily on cable channel profits to pay down debt and said Monday there were no plans to sell any cable channels.

Early in its tenure, Warner Bros. Discovery resisted calls to sell CNN, saying it was important to its portfolio.

The combination of the two streaming services will not be immediate. Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders must approve the Paramount deal, which also needs to win the blessing of international regulators. Germany and Slovakia have already signaled their consent.

Then, the company must work through a host of technical challenges to migrate technology platforms, which have massive cloud-computing deals. Ellison told analysts the integration would take place “over the coming years.”

Throughout Monday’s call, Ellison sought to alleviate concerns that the merger would simply usher in more layoffs and dizzying programming cuts, which have become the hallmark of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Chief Executive David Zaslav and his team have worked feverishly to pay down the colossal debt that came from Discovery’s 2022 takeover of the larger WarnerMedia. Warner Bros. Discovery still has $33.5 billion in debt on its books, which Paramount must absorb in addition to its own acquisition costs and debt.

Specifically, Ellison gave a shout-out to HBO and its executive team, led by HBO Chairman Casey Bloys, who is deeply respected in Hollywood.

Ellison’s flourish appeared intended to quiet chatter about whether Bloys and Paramount’s streaming chief, Cindy Holland, could co-exist in the combined Paramount-Warner Bros.

“HBO is a crown jewel in this business,” Ellison said. “It will continue to have the resources and independence to do what it does best. At the same time, we believe in licensing our content to other platforms and producing third-party content in our television studios,” Ellison added, saying, “we are committed to growing our studios and the popular shows they create.”

Ellison said there were no plans to diminish HBO or its ambitions. “Our view is that HBO should stay HBO,” Ellison said.

The plan is to keep the Warner Bros. film division semi-separate from Paramount on Melrose Avenue with each studio releasing about 15 films a year. Ellison said the combined Paramount-Warner would maintain the 45-day film release window before moving titles to a streaming service.

He also made a pledge not to whack programming budgets. “We have no intention to pull back from production,” Ellison said.

Still, the new company will need to grapple with $79 billion in net debt at close, making it one of the largest leveraged buyouts in history. The younger Ellison, whose father — Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison — is financially backing the merger, will have $25-billion in debt more than the Warner Bros. Discovery deal, which led to the constant waves of layoffs.

Paramount Chief Operating Officer Andrew Gordon reiterated that the company has identified $6 billion in cost cuts, which he said could largely be achieved by “consolidating our streaming technology stacks and cloud providers, including [Paramount+] and HBO Max, realizing global efficiencies … [and] optimizing the combined real estate footprint.”

It’s unclear whether Parmount will sell the famed Melrose Avenue movie lot and move into the Warner Bros.’ campus in Burbank. Warner’s lot is considerably larger and has been better maintained over the years as Paramount (formerly Viacom) withstood years of under-investment.

“We are positioning the business for investment and growth in addition to reducing debt over the near term,” Gordon said.

Gordon added that Paramount on Friday paid the $2.8-billion termination fee to Netflix, to allow Warner to ditch the deal it signed with the streaming giant on Dec. 4. Paramount agreed to pay $31 per share to Warner Bros. Discovery’s shareholders.

Ellison said his proposed Warner Bros. takeover “is not about consolidation — it’s about reinventing the business.”

Mid-day Monday, Paramount Skydance shares were trading down about 1% to $13.30.

Netflix continued to gain ground, rising 1% to $97.24. Warner Bros. Discovery held steady at $28.40.

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