Television

CBS’s new show, America’s Culinary Cup, is not your average cooking show. This is major league. From the jump, you realize these are not scrappy up and comers trying to prove themselves. These are Michelin level chefs, people who have already done the thing, built the restaurants, earned the stars, and now they are going head to head. It changes everything. The vibe is less chaotic kitchen meltdown and more quiet intensity. Everyone knows exactly what they are doing, which somehow makes it even more stressful to watch.

The food is on another level too. No gimmicks, no over the top drama on the plate. Just really thoughtful, precise, beautiful dishes where every little detail really matters. It feels like you are watching actual restaurant caliber food, not “competition food.”

And yes, seeing Padma Lakshmi back is exciting. It just is. But what is fun here is that she is surrounded by chefs who match her energy. She is not explaining things for the audience, she is in it with them, asking smart questions and letting the work speak for itself.

That is what makes this show work. It respects the craft. It trusts the talent. And it finally gives chefs operating at the highest level a stage that actually meets them there.

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Talk about a comeback! The Comeback returns for a third season 12 years after its second and a full 21 years after its first.

This show may be old enough to consume alcohol, but its subject matter is as relevant as ever. The Comeback follows creator Lisa Kudrow as sitcom actress Valerie Cherish for a sarcastic peek inside the entertainment industry. Season 1 is a reality show following Valerie through her journey as a washed-up sitcom star returning to the screen as the aging aunt in new network sitcom Room and Bored. Season 2, 9 years later, is styled as a found-footage documentary capturing Valerie’s journey on HBO series Seeing Red, which in turn deals with the ‘real’ torment Valerie suffered at the hands of the writer and producer on Room and Bored. In Season 3, another 12 years later, Valerie returns to the screen once more, finding out that she has been cast in the first completely AI-generated sitcom. As she works to navigate the technology’s impact on her life, Valerie finds herself struggling amidst the changing digital landscape.

The show stars Kudrow (Friends, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, No Good Deed) alongside returning actors like Laura Silverman (Half Baked, Santa Clarita Diet, Bob’s Burgers), Damian Young (Birdman, Edge of Darkness, Red State), and Dan Bucatinsky (Hacks, Our Little Secret, Scandal).

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The fifth and final season of Hacks is set to premiere Thursday, April 9 on HBO Max. Hard to believe it’s been five years since the beloved characters of Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels arrived on the scene! As any fan of the show knows, Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder have brought these women to life in an unforgettable, now iconic way. This dark comedy/drama was created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky. It follows Deborah Vance (Smart), a stand-up comedian, and her comedy writer Ava Daniels (Einbinder) as they navigate the evolving dynamics of their professional partnership and personal lives within the contemporary comedy industry. 

The show has been a critical and awards smash, landing four Emmys for Smart (for every year she’s been eligible), as well as a win for Einbinder. It has received two comedy writing Emmys, outstanding comedy directing, outstanding comedy series, and several other Emmys. Smart has won three Golden Globes, and the show has been named best comedy series twice. Season four ended with Deborah and Ava in Singapore, where they find a loophole that allows Deborah to perform on stage despite a non-compete clause that’s enforced after her untimely exit from her late-night talk show. But then, TMZ falsely reports her death. Now what? I guess we’ll find out beginning April 9! The cast also includes Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato, Rose Abdoo, Robby Hoffman, and Tony Goldwyn.

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Another year has passed and it is once again time for PaleyFest, America’s premiere media, television, and entertainment festival! From April 4–12 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood there will be screenings and conversations with stars and series creators, writers, and producers of eight different TV shows. The lineup includes three shows from Apple TV (Pluribus, Shrinking, Your Friends & Neighbors), two from Netflix (Nobody Wants This, Emily in Paris), the newly revived Scrubs (ABC), The Pitt (MAX), and a special 50th anniversary tribute featuring the original stars of Charlie’s Angels — Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Cheryl Ladd.

PaleyFest is a great opportunity to see your favorite TV stars up close and maybe even get to chat with them or get a photo. Participants this year include Rhea Seehorn, Karolina Wydra, Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Samba Schutte, Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie, Christa Miller, Lukita Maxwell, Ted McGinley, Kristen Bell, Adam Brody, Justine Jupe, Timothy Simons, Jackie Tohn, Lily Collins, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, Lucien Laviscount, Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, John C. McGinley, Neil Flynn, Jon Hamm, Amanda Peet, Olivia Munn, Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa, Supriya Ganesh, Taylor Dearden, Sepideh Moafi, and Shawn Hatosy.

Your ticket purchase helps support the nonprofit Paley Center for Media’s public and educational programming and ensures the ongoing preservation of the Paley Archive. So, you get to rub elbows with celebrities and do a good deed!

For tickets, click here.