Jason

Starting Sunday, actor Jason Ritter will be back onscreen as attorney Julian Markston in Season 2 of the CBS legal drama “Matlock,” loosely inspired by the 1980s and ’90s Andy Griffith show of the same name. He still gets a thrill when he thinks about the cast he gets to work with, which includes Skye P. Marshall, Beau Bridges and Oscar winner Kathy Bates.

In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

“You almost, but not quite ever, forget that you’re working with an absolute acting legend,” Ritter says. “Kathy is so sweet and so kind and such a team player and collaborator that it helps to sort of stop that voice in your head from going like ‘It’s Kathy Bates!’ every time it’s a scene with her.”

The 45-year-old L.A. native, part of an entertainment family that includes his late father, sitcom legend John Ritter, didn’t offer up many details about the new season but did say viewers can expect more on-the-edge-of-your-seat episodes. (If you need a refresher of last season, episodes of “Matlock” are available on Paramount+.)

“It has the same pace and fun mystery as the first season, but now my character’s secrets have been revealed,” says Ritter, who regularly posts about the show and his fellow actors on Instagram along with humorous bits.

At home with actor-wife Melanie Lynskey, whom he married in 2020, and their 6-year-old daughter, there aren’t any great mysteries that need to be solved, but there is work to do before bed.

“When midnight starts,” Ritter says, “we’re probably finishing up the jobs, as we call them — you know, the dishes and the chores and cleaning everything up, which is a lovely habit that I’ve gotten into from [my wife]. I always used to just wake up to the nightmare from the night before and I’ve learned to really appreciate waking up to a clean area.”

After lights out and some sleep, his ideal Sunday picks up hours later and is filled with plenty of coffee, some miniature golf or a nature walk and more.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

7 a.m.: A different kind of call time
I will wake up usually at 7. If our daughter is going to school, then I have to wake up at 7 so I can start making her lunch and getting stuff ready. But if she’s having a bit of a sleep-in [on the weekend], then I still have to wake up at 7 to make sure everything times out. And then I’ll make her little lunch and her breakfast. While she’s eating breakfast, she usually gets to watch an episode of something. That’s my prime scrolling through social media time.

9:30 a.m.: Time for more coffee
We would all pile in the car, and our first stop would probably be a coffee stop. We are a big coffee family — not our daughter. We always make a pot of coffee in the morning. And even though we’ve had several cups already, we’ll stop at Go Get Em Tiger, one of our favorite coffee places in L.A. We’ve come to know a lot of the baristas there, so we get to chat about life and everything. And then we’ll be back on the road.

10 a.m.: Miniature golf or a ‘beauty’ walk
Our daughter and I will go to Castle Park, which is the miniature golf place in Sherman Oaks. My daughter and I have really bonded over miniature golf, and that’s sort of our little thing. Any miniature golf course has a real special place in my heart, but Castle Park is the place that I went to as a kid. The course is basically the same. It’s just so fun to watch [our daughter] get better and better at golf; even though, recently she’s become obsessed with par.

If mini golf didn’t take up so much time, my daughter and I like to go on these little beauty walks where she gets on her scooter and puts her helmet on. We just walk around the neighborhood, and she can’t pick any flowers. But we can pick up little flowers or leaves off the ground. So anything that she sees that’s beautiful, she picks up, and we make a little bouquet. And what’s so amazing about it for me is to see what she finds beautiful on those walks.

1 p.m.: A chopped salad and fries for lunch
There’s a place called Angelini Osteria that has a salad that I really enjoy. It’s called the Alimentari Chopped Salad. It’s got avocado and chicken and bacon and currants and almonds. It comes with two dressings, but I usually just do the sort of lemony kind of oily dressing. And it is just so delicious. I am the only meat eater in my family. At some point, maybe my conscience will get the better of me, and I’ll switch over to their diet. Angelini also has very good french fries. When we’re on the road and the lunch that I’ve packed hasn’t been enough for [my daughter], french fries is one of those safe things that if we’re in a bind, we can pick them up from almost anywhere.

2 p.m.: Time for the Museum of Jurassic Technology
Another favorite thing that I would do is go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology. I just love that place. It’s so fascinating. It’s one of those places that if someone’s coming in from out of town, I love showing them. I love taking them there without telling them anything about it and just watch them kind of explore. And it’s just such a mysterious, magical place.

5 p.m.: Fresh escape room fun
Then I would see if I could get a bunch of my friends together, and we would go do an escape room somewhere in town. It’s just one of my favorite things to do, and they’re all over the place in Los Angeles. I would go to maybe 60out or Maze Rooms or one that I had never heard of. There’s an app called Morty that helps find escape rooms and keep track of the ones you did if your memory is poor like mine. If I can’t convince my friends to do another one right after in the same location, then we would be done by 6. It would be time to go back home and make our daughter’s dinner and get her through the entire dinner-bath time-bedtime phase.

9 p.m.: Dinner and “The Bachelor” before bed
My favorite thing is when Melanie and I order in from a place called Bulan Thai Vegetarian Kitchen. It has these incredibly delicious hot wings. Our daughter will be asleep in the other room. And we get to eat some delicious Thai food and watch some silly show or some serious show.

If our daughter has gone to sleep around 8, this will usually be maybe 9, 9:30 depending on if I’ve fallen asleep in the bed next door. This is also why sometimes it gets so late and bleeds into the next day. Because by the time we get to have our alone fun, dinner and watching time, it’s 9:30, 10, and some of those “Bachelor” episodes are two hours long.

And yes, I promise that somewhere in this day, I have showered. [Laughs] That is another very important element of our day. It’s the one that can go by the wayside. But we always try to check in with each other. Like, “Have you showered today? Have you showered? OK, you go and then I’ll go.”

By day, I immersed myself in the magic of Universal’s parks but by night, I braved the 10 haunted houses at the 34th annual HHN event now that spooky season is well and truly underway

Summer heat clung to the air but inside my hotel at Universal Orlando theme park, shivers were running down my spine. It was late August at the Sapphire Falls Resort, but the vibe was pure Gothic terror.

I was here to mark the opening of Halloween Horror Nights 2025, and though it was not yet autumn, the screams, monsters, and blood-soaked houses made it clear, spooky season had well and truly begun.

By day, I immersed myself in Universal’s parks: Epic Universe, Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios and even a lazy escape to Volcano Bay. But by night, I braved the 10 haunted houses at the 34th annual HHN event, including the blood-drenched Terrifier, the slasher playground of Jason Universe, and the theatrical nightmares of WWE’s Wyatt Sicks.

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The trip started at Epic Universe where stepping through its portals felt like stepping on to a movie set. The Dark Universe oozed Halloween energy – haunting villages, shadowy figures, and the looming presence of some of the world’s scariest characters.

Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment saw me flung around on a robotic arm as I came face to face with Dracula, Frankenstein and the Mummy.

I was whipped into a frenzy on the Curse of the Werewolf roller coaster and watched in awe as The Burning Blade Tavern erupted into flames.

Then I travelled through a Metro- Floo corridor to Harry Potter’s Battle at the Ministry ride, chasing down Dolores Umbridge as she tries to escape her trial. Afterwards came the vibrant chaos of Super Nintendo World, alive with colour, sound, and nostalgia. I couldn’t stop smiling as I raced friends on Mario Kart and leaped over the broken rails of Donkey Kong’s Mine-Cart Madness.

How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk was another highlight, with Viking ships bobbing in the fiery harbour and even a chance to meet Toothless.

Over at Islands of Adventure, I white-knuckled my way through the VelociCoaster and then soared on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, winding through the Forbidden Forest.

Riding the Hogwarts Express between parks gave me chills, especially stepping off at Diagon Alley in Universal Studios, where the cobblestones felt alive with magic.

Midway through the trip, I took a break from screams and thrills with a day at Volcano Bay. From a relaxing cabana, I enjoyed cocktails and a quiet escape between plunging down water slides and floating along the lazy river.

For a few hours, I wasn’t thinking about monsters or roller coasters, just the sun, the welcoming water and the looming Krakatau volcano in the distance.

And then came the night I’ll never forget – Halloween Horror Nights – 10 haunted houses, each more intense than the last and not for the faint-hearted (or under-13s).

Jason Universe merging all the Friday the 13th films was my favourite, despite being scared witless down a never-ending corridor of jump-scare hell (I said witless).

Terrifier was unforgettable in the worst (best) way as grotesque Art the Clown dismembered his victims before inviting guests to take the “dry path” or the “bloodbath” out.

It’s Universal’s first “unrated” house, with 35 bodies, six gallons of blood, and the foulest smells I’ve ever experienced – and I live on a farm.

I nearly lost the contents of my stomach in the bathroom scene where guts spilled from sinks and corpses floated in bathtubs, all while Art danced along to the menacing jingle of the Clown Cafe.

The WWE Wyatt Sicks house combined theatrical storytelling with scenes that left me clinging on to my squealing friends.

Galkn: Monsters of the North and Dolls: Let’s Play Dead were also disturbing in different ways, and the animatronics at Five Nights at Freddy’s, created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, are not to be missed.

But the horrors weren’t the only indulgence. The twisted show, Nightmare Fuel: Circus of Decay was a haunting spectacle filled with pyrotechnics, aerialists, and illusions.

The lagoon also burst into life with fountains, light projections and eerie music. And of course, HHN’s themed snacks also added a darkly delicious layer to the night.

I couldn’t resist grabbing myself a giant FNAF’s Mr Cupcake and sinking my teeth into his head.

Between houses, the scare zones bled into the boardwalk, where zombies and gargoyles lurked. By the time I stumbled back towards the hotel, I felt drained, shaking, and absolutely alive.

That’s the beauty of Universal if you go in October – by day, it’s soaring coasters, magical lands, and colourful adventures. By night, monsters and sweat-inducing nightmares.

Universal has always been a place of extremes, but this year, with Epic Universe opening its gates, and Halloween Horror Nights at its ultimate blood-soaked best, I felt like I experienced every side of the park’s soul.

And honestly? I’d do it all again in a heartbeat, though maybe next time I’ll keep a stronger stomach for Art the Clown.

Retired NBA player and former Harvard-Westlake star Jason Collins is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor, the NBA said Thursday in a statement released on behalf of Collins and his family.

“Jason and his family welcome your support and prayers and kindly ask for privacy as they dedicate their attention to Jason’s health and well-being,” the league said.

A 46-year-old native of Northridge, Jason Collins and twin brother, Jarron, led Harvard-Westlake to state Division III titles in 1996 and 1997, with the former being named the state Division III player of the year both seasons. His 1,500 career rebounds stood as a CIF state record until 2010, when Hemet West Valley’s Joe Burton finished his career with 1,721 rebounds.

Collins made first-team All-Pac-10 during his senior year at Stanford. He was selected 18th overall in the 2001 draft by the Houston Rockets and traded on draft night to the New Jersey Nets.

Averaging 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds during his 13-year NBA career, Collins also played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards.

He was unsigned in April 2013 when he came out as gay in an open letter published in Sports Illustrated.

Signed by the Brooklyn Nets several months later, Collins became the first active NBA player to have come out as gay when the Nets played the Lakers on Feb. 23, 2014. He retired at the end of that season and has continued working with the league as an NBA Cares ambassador.

Collins and longtime partner Brunson Green were married in May.

JON Richardson’s future on Waterloo Road has been confirmed after Jason Manford quit the show after just one series.

The comedy star announced he was joining the show after an April Fools prank claiming he was retiring from comedy to become a teacher.

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He soon announced that was he was actually joining the cast of the school-set drama.

And now The Sun can exclusively reveal that he won’t be a one-series wonder like Jason who bowed out after his first year.

A source said: “There were worries by some that after Jason’s one series stint that Jon would follow suit but that’s not the case.

“He’ll be sticking around for the foreseeable and is really enjoying acting now.”

The star will play the school’s new media studies teacher, Darius Donovan. 

The BBC blurb teases: “With tons of charm, this new teacher knows how to put on a good show, and viewers can expect his arrival to stir things up at Waterloo Road.”

Last year Jon and ex-wife Lucy Beaumont announced their split.

Jon and Lucy tied the knot in 2015 after two years of dating.

The two share one daughter Elsie Louise, eight.

In April last year they announced that they had gone their separate ways.

A statement shared by PA news agency said: “After 9 years of marriage, we would like to announce that we have separated.

“We have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to divorce and go our separate ways.

“As our only priority is managing this difficult transition for our daughter, we would ask that our privacy is respected at this sensitive time to protect her well-being.

“We will be making no further comment.”

Waterloo Road will return to BBC One and iPlayer on Tuesday September 23.

San Diego Padres pitcher Jason Adam is out for the season after he ruptured a quad tendon Monday when planting his left foot while trying to field a comebacker.

Now we know what can tilt a pennant race between two teams whose performance has been roughly even with a month to go before the playoffs.

An injury is never celebrated, but it can prompt a feeling of relief, which is probably the Dodgers’ unspoken reaction.

Adam, you see, is untouchable when pitching against the Dodgers. He has never given up a run to them in 15 appearances dating back to 2019.

A 6-foot-3, right-handed reliever with a funky, short-armed delivery, Adam hasn’t been scored on in six appearances against the Dodgers this season, five appearances last season — including three in the National League Division Series — two more in 2023 and two in 2019.

Dodgers hitters are seven for 51 (.137) with one double, two walks and 16 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings against Adam, who usually pitches the seventh or eighth inning, although he does have 24 career saves.

Adam is tough for anyone to hit, despite being particularly dominant against Los Angeles. Acquired by the Padres from the Tampa Bay Rays at the 2024 trade deadline, he is 11-4 with a 1.37 earned-run average in 92 appearances since then.

Now, though, he is sidelined until 2026, and the Padres recognize that the loss is profound.

“When that happens, you focus on the big picture, his health, what it means to the team,” Padres outfielder Gavin Sheets told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “It definitely puts a dark cloud over the day for all of us.”

The Padres — like the Dodgers — have lost key players to injury. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts is on the injured list with a fracture in his left foot. All-Star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. pulled his right hamstring Sunday and did not play Monday.

General manager A.J. Preller fortified the roster at the trading deadline, and Adam told him after the injury Monday that he was grateful for the addition of dynamic reliever Mason Miller.

“I told A.J., I’m really glad he went out and got Mason,” Adam told reporters. “I’m excited to cheer those guys on.

“Knowing this group, the mental toughness they have, the skill, there is everything in this clubhouse to win the World Series. You want to be a part of that…. That’s the hardest part.”

The Dodgers figured they had tilted the bullpen balance in their direction when they signed Padres closer Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72-million free-agent contract during the offseason.

But Scott has been disappointing, posting a 4.44 ERA with eight blown saves for the Dodgers, including giving up a three-run home run Sunday.

Miller, meanwhile, has a 1.64 ERA in 11 appearances with the Padres. All he could think about Monday was his teammate Adam.

“Really heartbreaking…. obviously, it sucks losing him, not only for what he does on the mound but the type of person he is,” Miller said.