life

After my marriage ended, I blithely thought it would be easy to enjoy holidays as a single parent. I soon found out they were either outrageously expensive, or they seemed only suitable for “traditional” families, or they were so cheap that I came home more knackered than when I’d left.

My first attempt, camping with friends, was fine until I had to pack up the tent. Four hours of wrestling with it in the heat later, I hated camping. Next, the adventure holiday for single-parent families. The abseiling and caving were brilliant, but sleeping in a bunk bed ruined my back. We tried a budget all-inclusive in Tenerife, but the hordes of nuclear families were overwhelming, and pool-side conversations with other women fizzled out because I didn’t come with a handy husband for their own husbands to talk to. A trip to Mallorca with a friend and her children was brilliant, but the cost was eye-watering.

Then, last autumn, a friend asked if we’d house-sit her dogs in Devon while she went to a wedding. For one tranquil weekend, we walked on the beach, and curled up by the fire in the evening. That led to house-sitting for her friend in Dorset, which also went well. Encouraged, I paid an annual £99 fee to join a house-sitting website, where, in exchange for looking after people’s pets, you stay in their homes free of charge. Within a few days, I’d arranged a 10-day house-sit in Sussex, looking after a labrador named Buzz while his owners were abroad.

It was our first sit for strangers, but any nerves dissipated the moment we arrived at the gorgeous four-bedroom house and met the gentle Buzz, who lived for tummy rubs. Our daily dog walks gave us the opportunity to explore stunning nature spots, and, once we returned home, we could relax in the garden for important conversations about our favourite “Ghosts” characters in the BBC sitcom. There were no expensive tourist traps to traipse through – instead, we browsed bookshops, treated ourselves to manicures, and went on kayak trips. I felt lighter and happier than I had in years, and could feel my bond with my daughter Polly strengthen every day. I’m not afraid to say that I cried with happiness. Things felt possible again.

House-sitting isn’t for everyone. Some people want no responsibilities on holiday apart from choosing their next cocktail, aren’t into dogs or cats, or feel odd about sleeping in a stranger’s bed, emptying their dishwasher, and putting out their bins. But the gentle rhythm of ordinary life, with work stripped out and new places to explore, is perfect for me.

It keeps me from descending into complete idleness, which leaves me feeling twitchy and oddly hollow. And, financially, house-sitting is a life-saver for a single parent. A 10-day break in a similar-sized house in the same area we stayed would set me back about £2,500 on Airbnb.

As for staying in a stranger’s house, I found it nourishing. Although house-sitting is a transaction, it’s also an act of trust between strangers and animals, which has brought out my best self – my patient, loving and measured side, full of appreciation for the people and places we discover. I’ve already lined up another four days away, caring for a whippet in leafy Surrey, and, next year, I’d like to try house-sitting abroad. Thanks to a bit of creative thinking, we can see the world from the comfort of home – it just happens to be someone else’s.

Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who spent the week Googling Ed Gein.

“Monster,” the gruesome and graphic anthology series from longtime collaborators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, has dramatized the chilling story of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and the highly publicized and complex case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, brothers who were convicted for the 1989 murder of their parents. The third installment of the Netflix series, which was released last week, puts its twist on the legend of Gein, a killer who inspired fictional villains like Norman Bates and Leatherface. Brennan, who wrote the season, stopped by Guest Spot to discuss the fantastical approach to the season and that “Mindhunter” hat tip.

Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations include a “Frontline” documentary that continues its chronicle on the lingering impact of poverty and a spinoff of “The Boys” set at America’s only college for superheroes.

ICYMI

Must-read stories you might have missed

Illustration of John Candy with his hands on his cheeks.

(Brian Lutz / For The Times)

‘You never stop thinking about John Candy’: How a pair of projects keep his legacy alive: The beloved actor, who would have turned 75 this month, is the focus of an eponymous biography and “John Candy: I Like Me,” a documentary directed by Colin Hanks.

With the help of advisors, ‘Boots’ co-stars challenged themselves to portray military life authentically: Actors Miles Heizer and Max Parker trained like Marines and utilized the experiences of the show’s military advisors to ground their characters.

She’s used to finding laughs in catastrophe. But Rose Byrne is only now going to the edge: After stealing focus in everything from “Bridesmaids” to “Insidious,” Rose Byrne unravels beautifully in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.”

Victoria Beckham sheds Posh persona, gets candid about eating disorder in Netflix doc: The three-part docuseries chronicles the Spice Girls alum’s pivot from pop stardom to high fashion.

Turn on

Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

A still from “Frontline: Born Poor,” which filmed over 14 years with kids from three families, from adolescents to adults, to explore how poverty has affected them.

(Frontline PBS)

“Frontline: Born Poor” (PBS.org)

Television is glutted with “reality,” but there are still filmmakers who prefer to look at how people live when they’re not contestants in a dating game or bunked up with competitive strangers. Jezza Neumann’s “Born Poor” is the third installment in a moving documentary series that began 14 years ago with “Poor Kids,” and, like Michael Apted’s “7 Up” films, has visited its subjects in intervals over the years since. Set in the Quad Cities area, where Illinois meets Iowa along the Mississippi River, it follows Brittany, Johnny and Kayli from bright-eyed childhood into chastened, though still optimistic adulthood, as they deal with life on the margins — power lost, houses lost, school impossible, food unpredictable. Now, with kids of their own, all are concerned to provide them a better life than the ones they had. With Washington waging a war on the poor to protect the rich, it’s a valuable watch. — Robert Lloyd

Derek Luh (Jordan Li), from left, Jaz Sinclair (Marie Moreau), Keeya King (Annabeth Moreau), Lizze Broadway (Emma Meyer) in “Gen V.”

(Jasper Savage / Prime)

“Gen V” (Prime Video)

Just two weeks out from its Season 2 finale and the satirical superhero series continues to deliver merciless dark humor and sharp topical commentary on America’s great crumble — inside of a tale about misfits enduring the rigors of college life.

Spun off from the brilliant “The Boys” franchise, this series from Eric Kripke, Craig Rosenberg and Evan Goldberg follows a group of students at Godolkin University, an institution designed to identify and train the next generation of superheroes. But the co-eds soon discover that their supposed higher education is in fact a clandestine operation to create “Supe” soldiers for an impending war between the super-powered and non-powered humans. Returning to the fold is Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair), who emerges as the rebel group’s most powerful weapon against the school’s nefarious plot. Working alongside her are Emma (Lizze Broadway), Cate (Maddie Phillips), Jordan (London Thor and Derek Luh) and Sam (Asa Germann). The wonderfully unnerving Hamish Linklater (“Midnight Mass”) joins the cast as the school’s new dean.

Is “Gen V” just as gory as “The Boys”? Absolutely. Watch with caution. But nothing else is quite as fearless in calling out the contradictions and absurdities of our times, be it corrupt politics, corporate domination or false religiosity. — Lorraine Ali

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein in an episode of “Monster: The Ed Gein Story.”

(Netflix)

“Monster: The Ed Gein Story” stars Charlie Hunnam as the so-called “Butcher of Plainfield,” whose gruesome crimes in 1950s small-town Wisconsin went on to inspire pop culture classics like “Psycho” and “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.” The season leans into Gein’s diagnosed schizophrenia and his legacy in Hollywood to present a deeply fictionalized version of his horrifying activities. All eight episodes of the season are now streaming. Ian Brennan, who co-created the anthology series with Ryan Murphy and helmed the latest installment, stopped by Guest Spot to discuss the season’s approach to fact vs. fiction, that “Mindhunter” nod and the documentary that earns his rewatch time. — Yvonne Villarreal

We often hear from actors about the roles that stay with them long after they’re done filming. Are there elements of “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” that you still can’t shake?

Ed Gein was schizophrenic, and I find the internal life he would have suffered through for decades — alone and hearing voices, primarily that of his dead mother — completely harrowing. He wasn’t medicated until late in his life, and until he was, his mind was a hall of mirrors of images he saw and couldn’t unsee — most shockingly photos of Nazi atrocities during the Holocaust. I believe the only way he could cope was to try to normalize these things — digging up bodies, skinning them, making things from them — and the nagging voice of his mother ultimately drove him to murder at least two women, Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden, maybe more. Ed Gein wasn’t the local boogeyman — his neighbors didn’t find him scary — he was the guy you’d have watch your kids if the babysitter canceled last-minute. And yet, in those four inches between his ears there existed a bizarre, terrifying hellscape of profound loneliness and total confusion. Every day in this country we see what happens when the lethal combination of male loneliness and mental illness goes ignored. The thought of an Ed Gein living just down the street from me is chilling.

“Based on a true story” depictions typically have a loose relationship with the truth due to storytelling needs. This season of “Monster” bakes that idea into the narrative — whether because of Ed’s understanding of events or the way in which he, or his crimes, inspired deeply fictionalized villains like Norman Bates (“Psycho”), Leatherface (“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”) and Buffalo Bill (“The Silence of the Lambs”) — in trying to unpack the “Who is the monster?” question. What questions were swirling in your head as you tried to weave this story together? And how did that inform where and how you took your liberties?

Ed’s story is, in many ways, fragmented — he didn’t remember many details of the acts he committed, and he passed polygraph tests when interrogated about cold cases police suspected he may have perpetrated. So we knew from the very beginning that there would be gaps to fill in when telling his story — and it seemed the obvious way to do it was to let the true story interplay with the fictionalized versions of Ed Gein that he inspired. There’s a subtle thematic bleed between the versions of Ed we see in the series and the monsters in the movies he inspired — in the first three episodes, we see a “Psycho”-inflected Ed Gein obsessed with his mother; next a much more sexualized, violent Ed Gein that would become “Leatherface”; then an Ed Gein who so fetishized the female body and who was made so ill by the repression of that urge that he became obsessed with building a suit made from women’s bodies. These versions of Ed, to me, are like the blind men feeling different parts of the elephant in the parable — each true in their own way, but each also just a fragment of a shattered whole that will probably never be fully understood.

The season finale features a “Mindhunter” nod. Happy Anderson, who played serial killer Jerry Brudos on that show, reprises his role as the Shoe Fetish Slayer, talking to characters meant to be Holden Ford and Bill Tench, though they’re named John Douglas and Robert Ressler, the real FBI agents who inspired the fictional ones. When and why did you realize you wanted to have that hat tip? Was there an attempt to try to get Jonathan Groff or Holt McCallany?

Having written three seasons of this anthology so far, we’ve realized each time that the emotional climax always comes in the penultimate episode and the finales are always particularly difficult to figure out. We knew we needed to top the episodes that had preceded it by shifting the show’s look and tone — and we had in our hands the nugget that John Douglas and Robert Ressler had, indeed, interviewed Ed Gein in person. Ryan and I both find David Fincher’s oeuvre almost uniquely inspiring, so once we pictured an episode that played as an homage to Fincher’s tone and style and narrative approach, it was something I, at least, just couldn’t unsee. If we were going to go down the rabbit hole of what this chapter of Ed’s story might have looked like, I could only really picture it in Fincher’s terms — so your guess is as good as mine as to why casting the “Mindhunter” pair of Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany in the roles didn’t feel right (we both love both of those actors), but it just didn’t.

There are so many dark moments for the actors. What scene struck you as especially difficult to write and shoot?

I was at once excited and terrified by the challenge of depicting necrophilia on our show. I’m fairly certain it’s never been done before on TV, and I knew it ran the risk of seeming arbitrarily shocking or exploitative (though I think choosing to tell Ed’s story in an easier manner by avoiding this chapter and not showing it would be the actually exploitative choice). Needless to say, even after I’d written the scene, it preoccupied me, as I had to also direct it. I felt greatly helped by the new industry standard of intimacy coordinators on set — and ours, Katie Groves, was spectacular — but still I worried about the scene just playing as cringey or unwatchable. But Charlie Hunnam, as with every scene he acted in on the show, came at the sequence with honesty and deep concern to capture all of the strangeness of the bizarre, disturbing act we were depicting — and what it said about what was going on inside Ed to lead him to commit such an act.

What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?

I just saw PT Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” — which was shot by one of our two directors of photography, Michael Bauman — and was just completely floored and delighted. I’m sure it’s rife with homage to films that have gone before, but I could detect no inheritance at all; it felt like a genre to itself — completely original and new. And I still find the time I watched Jonathan Glazer’s “Zone of Interest” to be among the most profound experiences of my life. He took what is maybe cinema’s most settled, well-trodden genres and turned it on its head in a way I found shocking and revelatory. If there is a better portrait of the proximity and ubiquity and the banality of human evil, I haven’t seen it. I think it is as brilliant a slice of human ingenuity as has ever been crafted. I have thought about that movie every day since I first saw it.

What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?

It’s annoying to say it, but I don’t watch a lot of television. It’s like spending all day at the sausage factory then coming home to watch sausage footage. But the big exception is Peter Jackson’s Beatles documentary “Get Back” [Disney+] chronicling the making of the film and album “Let it Be.” I basically just watch it over and over again. I came late to the Beatles (I loved the Who and resented that they always sat squarely in the Beatles’ shadow), but when they hit me, they hit me hard, and watching them in this documentary at the height of their powers is a master class in the craft of collaboration and the hard work of genius. Also, everything I thought I knew about the Beatles at the end of their stretch as a band is wrong — fighting all the time? A bit but not really. Paul hated Yoko? He actually seems to really like her. I don’t know how many hours the documentary clocks in at, but I wish it were 10 times as long.

“Days of Our Lives” actor Arianne Zucker has reached a settlement with the producers of the show after her 2024 lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and discrimination on the set of the soap opera.

Notice of the settlement was filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. No further details about the settlement were included. Zucker’s attorney could not be immediately reached for comment.

Zucker had starred on “Days of Our Lives” since 1998, playing the character Nicole Walker. In her February 2024 lawsuit, she alleged that now-former executive producer Albert Alarr subjected her and other employees to “severe and pervasive harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment, based upon their female gender.”

Zucker claimed that Alarr would grab and hug her, “purposely pushing her breasts onto his chest” while moaning sexually, according to the lawsuit. She also alleged that he would make “sexually charged comments” to her.

“Our client continues to deny the allegations set forth in the complaint,” Alarr’s attorney, Robert Barta, said in a statement. “However, in order to bring the litigation to the end, he has agreed to settle. This decision was made solely to end the dispute and move forward.”

Zucker’s lawsuit also named Corday Productions, which oversees the show, and its owner, Ken Corday, as defendants in the lawsuit, alleging retaliation. Zucker alleged that her pay was decreased and her travel stipend revoked after she voiced concerns. In June 2023, she said her character was written off the show after 20 years.

Several months later, Corday Productions offered to renew Zucker’s contract but allegedly did not negotiate with her representatives for higher pay, the lawsuit said.

Attorneys for Corday and Corday Productions did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Corday Productions previously told The Times in a statement that Zucker’s claims “are without merit” and that she was offered a pay increase upon an offer to renew her contract. The company said at the time that complaints about Alarr’s on-set behavior were “promptly investigated” and the company “fully cooperated with the impartial investigation and subsequently terminated Mr. Alarr.”

“Days of Our Lives” aired on Comcast-owned NBC from Nov. 8, 1965, to Sept. 9, 2022, before moving to the Comcast streaming platform Peacock in 2022.

AMY HUNT is prioritising “medals over men” as she adapts to life as a superstar athlete.

The 23-year-old shot to fame last month after claiming a silver medal at the World Championships in Tokyo.

4

4

Following her achievement, Hunt claimed that she would celebrate with some karaoke.

Quizzed what she’d be singing, the confident star said: “Probably Maneater.

“That’s really boring but I feel like that was the vibe tonight, just sexy and aggressive.”

Hunt, who has a degree in English Literature from Cambridge, continues to have her eyes firmly set on further prizes.

Speaking to The Times, the 200m specialist said: “Obviously, as a female athlete, you also have to plan when you think motherhood is a feasible thing for you.

“But the world is very open to me and I will get a sense of what I want to do when the moment is right.

“I actually always joke to my coach, ‘medals before men’, that’s the quote of the day!”

Hunt has not ruled out balancing her blossoming athletics career with further studies.

BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK

She added: “I change my mind on it every year. Immediately after coming out of university I thought about the V&A and doing a Masters — with the hope of maybe going on to do a PhD, because I always thought being ‘Dr Amy’ would be pretty cool.

“But then my mind changed and I think I’d want to actually work at a museum or gallery and curate.

“But then I’m like, no, maybe I’d do a law conversion because a lot of my friends did a law conversion out of English.

“And then maybe I’d do that, or maybe an Amal Clooney kind of thing.

“So my mind is always changing on that and I think I’ll only decide when I get to the end.”

4

4

Vicky Pattison has explained why her husband, Ercan Ramadan, is desperate for her to be booted from Strictly Come Dancing – and the impact the show is having on their married life

Vicky Pattison says husband Ercan Ramadan secretly hopes she gets the Strictly boot – so he can see more of his wife again. She says the couple have barely been together since she started on the BBC show as she trains for 14 hours a day – and it’s taken its toll on their sex life.

“After a full day doing the Charleston the last thing you feel like is going home to do the Mattress Mambo,” I’m A Celebrity winner Vicky laughed.

“He’s having to be a bit patient at the moment. I think he’s the only person in my inner circle who is secretly hoping I get booted out. He’s my number one supporter though. I am really lucky but he’s probably hoping he gets sex soon.”

READ MORE: Vicky Pattison suffers chipped tooth and cut face in chaotic Strictly Come Dancing weekREAD MORE: Strictly’s Dianne Buswell breaks silence as Stefan Dennis pulls out of live show

Vicky, 37, admits she’s been miffed with Ercan, 32, this week after he jetted off on holiday without her. “He’s actually in the dog house at the moment,” she admitted. “Obviously I love my husband but he’s been on holiday to see his family.

“We had this trip booked and then I got Strictly so I told him to go because all I’ve been doing is rehearsing, coming home knackered, whinging and going to bed. I told him to go away because he deserved a break putting up with me.

“So he went and I’ve been coming home to an empty house. He’s not there. The dogs are in day care because I’m working 14-hours a day. I’m coming home alone and it’s dark and cold.

“You need that normality coming home to your lovely partner or your dogs when you are out of your comfort zone, scared, lonely, working hard. It’s been really hard without him but he’s back now.”

Dancing the Charleston to A Little Party Never Killed Nobody from The Great Gatsby, Vicky and partner Kai Widd have been getting lots of good luck messages from their celeb pals.

Angela Rippon, who danced with Kai last year, sent her best wishes to the pair. “We did have a call from Angela,” said Kai, 30. “She gave Vicky some words of advice.”

“She’s wicked for an older bird,” said Vicky. Kai continued: “I made it to Blackpool with Angela and I hope to think Vicky and I can go further. Vicky is what Strictly is all about. No dance experience. Starting from scratch. We have such a great relationship.”

Vicky has been open about her struggles with anxiety but say Kai has been amazing at settling her nerves.

“He does say this really lovely thing to me each week, he says: ‘It’s just me and you dancing’, and that helps because I get in my head. Everything I’ve learnt in the week just goes out of me head. I’m thinking about the judges, the audience, the people at home, all the things that are out of my control. So he’s a really good egg like that.”

It’s been a tough week for the pair, as they battled illness. Vicky also suffered a chipped tooth and a cut to the face after having a fall in rehearsals practising a “spicy lift”.

Undeterred, Vicky ploughed on and is eyeing up her best score yet this weekend, with a cheeky plan to try and get it. “I’ve been flirting with Anton (Du Beke),” she revealed. “I just want a seven and I’ve been flirting with him but he’s not bothered.”

Watch the Strictly results tonight at 7.15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

When it was first published in 1975, “Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock ‘n’ Roll Music” was immediately recognized as something new. In six taut, probing, far-ranging essays about certain popular or otherwise forgotten musicians, author Greil Marcus cracked open a world of sojourners, tricksters, killers and confidence men — the lost subterranean underlife of America as inflected in the music itself.

“Mystery Train” was a landmark in cultural criticism that took on Rock ‘n’ Roll as a subject of intellectual inquiry. In 2011, Time magazine named “Mystery Train” one of the 100 greatest nonfiction books of all time. For the book’s 50th anniversary, a new edition has been published, with a wealth of new writing from Marcus that brings his book up to date.

On a recent Zoom call, I chatted with him on the 50th anniversary of his book about its lasting impact, the anxiety of influence and the staying power of criticism.

(Please note: The Times may earn a commission through links to Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.)

✍️ Author Chat

Book jacket of “Mystery Train” by Greil Marcus.

(Penguin Random House)

Congrats on 50 years of “Mystery Train.” Could you have possibly imagined that it would still have a life in 2025 when you wrote it in 1975?

For this book to have this kind of a life, you can’t predict it. I had a miserable time writing it. I’d never written a book before. I rented a room at a house near our little apartment, and just stayed there all day, trying to write or not trying to write, as the case may be. I didn’t have any hopes or ambitions for it. I just wanted it to look good.

This is the thickest edition of “Mystery Train” yet. Your “Notes and Discographies” section, where you update the reader on new books and recordings about the artists, among other things, is longer than the original text of the book.

That’s what’s kept the book alive. I mean, I still think the original chapters read well. I’m glad they came out the way they did, but for me, they opened up a continuing story, and that has sort of kept me on the beat so that I obsessively would follow every permutation that I could and write them in the notes section.

“Mystery Train” changed the way popular music was written about. Who were your literary antecedents?

Edmund Wilson, Pauline Kael, D.H. Lawrence’s critical studies. Hemingway’s short stories, just as a way to learn how to try to write. There was another book that was important to me, Michael Gray’s “Song and Dance Man,” which was a rigorous examination of Bob Dylan’s music. It was totally intimidating. His knowledge of blues, novels, poetry — I thought there’s no way I can write something as good as this. So I started doing a lot more reading, and listening more widely.

For many readers of the book, it was the first time they came across artists like Robert Johnson or Harmonica Frank. How did you discover these artists?

I was an editor at Rolling Stone magazine in 1969 when the Altamont disaster happened, when people were killed at a free Rolling Stones concert. It was an evil, awful day. I was drained and disgusted with what rock ‘n’ roll had become, and I didn’t want to listen to that music anymore. I found myself in this little record store in Berkeley, and I saw an album by Robert Johnson that had a song called “Four Until Late” that Eric Clapton’s band Cream had covered, so I took it home and played it, and that was just a revelation to me. It led me into another world. It became the bedrock of “Mystery Train.”

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger signs autographs at Altamont Speedway. Later, on Dec. 6, the Stones gave a concert where one fan was stabbed to death by a Hell’s Angel.

(Associated Press)

Your book explores how certain myths transfer across vastly disparate cultures. Had you read the great mythologist Joseph Campbell prior to writing the book?

I read a lot of Joseph Campbell in graduate school. Probably a half-dozen of his books. In some ways they cover the same territory as “Mystery Train.” Campbell makes the argument that myths persist, they don’t even need to be cultivated. They cultivate us, and they are passed on in almost invisible ways. That really struck a chord with me when reading Campbell’s work.

You’re very good at explaining what music sounds like. Are you influenced by fiction at all?

I’d say fiction is part of my work. One of the books that hovered over me when I was writing “Mystery Train” was “The Great Gatsby.” Certain lines, they sang out.

What is the purpose of criticism?

My next book is about Bryan Ferry, the leader of the band Roxy Music. Now, you listen to a song like Roxy Music’s “More Than This” and you say, what makes this so great? How did that happen? What is going on here? That’s what criticism is, just wrestling with your response to something. That thing where someone has captured a moment so completely that you sort of fall back in awe. That’s what I’ve been doing my whole life as a writer. There is this urge to, not exactly take possession of something, but to become a part of it to some small degree.

Your book plumbs the murky depths, exploring the mysterious dream life of America as transmuted through certain music. Are there any mysteries left for you?

Oh, yes, absolutely. I remember when I met Bob Dylan in 1997. He was getting an award, the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, and I was to give a talk. We met and he asked what I was working on. I had just published a book called “Invisible Republic,” about his “Basement Tapes.” He said, “You should write a sequel to that. You only just scratched the surface.” Now, I’m not saying I did a bad job. He said that to me because certain music has infinite depth. So, yes, there are certainly more mysteries to think about.

📰 The Week(s) in Books

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Valerie Castallanos Clark loves Jade Chang’s new novel, “What a Time to Be Alive,” calling it “equal parts love letter to Los Angeles, narrative about being a first-generation Asian American, exploration of grief and love and a found-family novel featuring an adoptee that doesn’t put reunion as the emotional climax.”

With “Shadow Ticket,” Thomas Pynchon has delivered a late-career gem, according to David Kipen: “Dark as a vampire’s pocket, light-fingered as a jewel thief, ‘Shadow Ticket’ capers across the page with breezy, baggy-pants assurance — and then pauses on its way down the fire escape just long enough to crack your heart open.”

Finally, Cerys Davies chats with Mychal Threets about his new gig as host of the long-running TV show “Reading Rainbow.”

📖 Bookstore Faves

Stories Books & Cafe is on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park.

(Claudia Colodro)

Ever since it opened its doors in 2008, Stories Books & Cafe has been a community cornerstone. A snug yet carefully curated store, with loads of obscurantist art books and choice indie press titles, Stories also has a cafe tucked in the back that is always bustling. Owner Claudia Colodro runs the store as a creative cooperative with her five co-workers. I talked to the team about the shop on Sunset.

What’s selling right now?

“Mother Mary Comes to Me” by Arundhati Roy, “Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar, and Thomas Pynchon’s “Shadow Ticket” are a few of our recent big sellers.

Stories is small, yet I always see titles in there I don’t see anywhere else.

Stories prides itself on its painstaking curation, influenced by every employee’s area of expertise. Much like the community we have garnered, Stories leans toward the eclectic, esoteric and even fringe. Over our 17 years in existence, Stories has been a bookstore that loves our local authors and independent publishers, and encourages readers to come in with an open mind more than a predetermined list.

Remarkably, you have endured in a neighborhood that has seen a lot of store closures, post-COVID.

In a world predominantly automatized and authoritative, we like our people and books to be a countermeasure to the mainstream creature comforts — in hopes to push people out of the path of least resistance and into the unseen abundance.

Stories Books & Cafe is at 1716 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.

THIS is the incredible moment a 10-year-old hero sister with quick thinking stopped her younger brother from choking – saving his life.

Footage showed the siblings jumping on a trampoline in their backyard when the seven-year-old brother began choking.

3

3

3

It all started when sister Lia and brother Logan started playing a game which involved eating sour candies while jumping on the trampoline.

However, Logan began choking as soon as he put one of the treats in his mouth and tried to swallow.

The clip showed him stopping abruptly and clutching his chest as the candy got stuck in his throat.

As Logan began choking on the candy, Lia quickly began patting his back and performed the Heimlich manoeuvre.

The candy then flew out of his mouth, relieving Logan from the discomfort.

The clip was shared by the local police, who revealed that Lia learned the life-saving technique from a babysitting guide and her mother. 

Her mum Heather James, told NBC News: “It was a hard watch,’ their mother.

“As much as it hurts my heart to watch, I’m just so proud of her.”

Mum Heather is a member of the Lavon Police Department’s special programs division, which teaches different life-saving courses.

She revealed she was in the kitchen when the terrifying ordeal unfolded, but said Lia rushed in to tell her everything.

She added that her son Lpgan “swore he will never be on the trampoline with a piece of candy again”.

It’s a parents worst nightmare to imagine a situation in which they have to save their child from choking.

But in that moment, it may be you who will have to step up and perform first aid.

The NHS says if you can see an object lodged in your child’s mouth, take care to remove it because blindly poking at it could make things worse.

If the child is coughing, encourage them to continue as they may be able to bring the object up. Don’t leave them.

If the coughing isn’t effective (it is silent or they cannot breathe properly), shout for help immediately.

If the child is still conscious, use back blows. 

First aiders at St John Ambulance give the following advice based on the child’s age.

Natalia Bryant has made her debut as a creative director with a short film that features a subject matter with which she’s very familiar.

The 70-second piece is called “Forever Iconic: Purple and Gold Always,” and it’s all about the worldwide impact of the Lakers — something Bryant has experienced throughout her life as the oldest daughter of one of the Lakers’ great icons, Kobe Bryant.

The film, posted online Wednesday by the Lakers, is a fast-paced tribute to the team and its fans. It features a number of celebrity cameos — Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani takes batting practice wearing a Lakers cap; current Lakers star Luka Doncic yells “Kobe!” as he shoots a towel into a hamper; fashion designer Jeff Hamilton creates a number of Lakers jackets; actor Brenda Song obsessively watches and cheers for the team on her computer; Lakers legend Magic Johnson declares, “It’s Showtime, baby!”

Mixed in are shots of regular fans paying tribute to the team in their own ways.

“This project was an amazing, collaborative environment with such creative people and we all came together to try and portray the Lakers’ impact, not only in L.A. but around the world,” Natalia Bryant said in a statement released by the Lakers. “Everyone has their own connection to the Lakers. I hope those who already love this team watch this project and remember what that pride feels like. And if you’re not a Lakers fan yet, I hope you watch this, and it makes you want to be.”

Natalia Bryant’s first short film as a creative director is “Forever Iconic: Purple and Gold Always.”

(Los Angeles Lakers)

Bryant, who graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in May, included some famous Lakers clips, such as LeBron James arguing, “It’s our ball, ain’t it?” and her father hitting a buzzer-beating shot against the Phoenix Suns during the 2006 playoffs.

“Such an honor to be apart of this project!” Bryant wrote on Instagram. “Thank you @lakers for having me join as creative director💛lakers family forever”

Lakers controlling owner and president Jeanie Buss also posted the video on Instagram.

“Cheers to the millions of fans around the world who make the Lakers the most popular team in the NBA!!” Buss wrote. “You are the best fans in the league. Congratulations and huge thanks to the amazing @nataliabryant who helped bring this film to life for her creative director debut.”

Lakers superfan Song also posted a number of photos related to the project on Instagram, including one of herself with Bryant.

“Lake show for life,” Song wrote.

Bryant responded in the comments, “For life!”

BOSTON — Joan B. Kennedy, the former wife of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy who endured a long and troubled marriage marked by family tragedies, her husband’s infidelities and her own struggles with alcoholism and mental health, died on Wednesday. She was 89.

The former Joan Bennett was a model and classically-trained pianist when she married Ted Kennedy in 1958. Their lives would change unimaginably over the next decade and a half. Brother-in-law John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960 and assassinated three years later. Brother-in-law Robert F. Kennedy served as attorney general under JFK, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1964 and assassinated while seeking the presidency.

Her husband was elected to the U.S. Senate and became among the country’s most respected legislators despite initial misgivings that he was capitalizing on his family connections. But Ted Kennedy also lived through scandals of his own making. In 1969, the car he was driving plunged off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, killing his young female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.

Kennedy, who swam to safety and waited hours before alerting police, later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. Chappaquiddick shadowed him for the rest of his life, weighing against his own chances for the presidency.

Joan Kennedy had three children with her husband, but also had miscarriages, including one shortly after the Chappaquiddick accident. She stood by her husband through the scandal, but their estrangement was nearly impossible to hide by the time of his unsuccessful effort to defeat President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries. They had been separated by then, and would later divorce. One bumper sticker from the campaign read “Vote for Jimmy Carter, Free Joan Kennedy.”

Her love of piano would be a trademark for much of her life. She was known for opening her husband’s campaign rallies with a piano serenade and, after they divorced, touring with orchestras around the world. Her family said she would combine her masterful playing with a message about the transformational potential of the arts and the need for equitable arts education.

In a 1992 Associated Press interview, she recalled playing piano for brother-in-law Bobby when he ran for president in 1968. “He took me with him and encouraged me,” she said. “He had a theme, ‘This Land Is Your Land,’ the Woody Guthrie song. I’d play that on the piano and everybody would come in, feeling really great about everything.”

“It seems like a long time ago, but it’s part of my memories,” she said softly.

In a statement, former Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island praised his mother for her courage and talent.

“Besides being a loving mother, talented musician, and instrumental partner to my father as he launched his successful political career, Mom was a power of example to millions of people with mental health conditions,” his statement said. “She will be missed not just by the entire Kennedy Family, but by the arts community in the City of Boston and the many people whose lives that she touched.”

She also became one of the first women to publicly acknowledge her struggles with alcoholism and depression.

“I will always admire my mother for the way that she faced up to her challenges with grace, courage, humility, and honesty,” Ted Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. “She taught me how to be more truthful with myself and how careful listening is a more powerful communication skill than public speaking.”

Casey writes for the Associated Press.

The BBC Sport presenter joins the likes of Tom Daley, Jonathan Ross and Alan Carr in taking part in the first series of The Celebrity Traitors

The inaugural series of The Celebrity Traitors hits our screens on Wednesday night, with a star-studded cast taking part in the spin-off of the popular BBC programme.

Following the same format as the regular version, the series will see 19 celebs becoming either ‘Faithfuls’ or, in the case of some, ‘Traitors’. The task for the Traitors is to work together to ‘murder’ their fellow contestants without being detected, while the Faithfuls are charged with successfully identifying and ‘banishing’ the Traitors by voting them out.

The celebrity line-up includes singer-songwriter Cat Burns, telly host Jonathan Ross, actress Celia Imrie and former Olympic diver Tom Daley. However, one contestant who’s been tipped to go the distance and bag the £100,000 charity prize is BBC Sport legend Clare Balding.

Over her 30-year career, the presenter has become one of Britain’s most esteemed broadcasters, having fronted massive sporting events such as the Grand National, Olympic Games and Wimbledon for channels like the BBC and Channel 4.

Balding will be hoping her authority, popularity and affability to take her far in the iconic Traitors castle, while she has grown used to the spotlight being cast over her, and particularly her life away from the cameras. As her stock has risen, particular attention has been paid her personal life, from her relationship with another presenter to her recent weight loss. Here’s what you need to know.

Ex-BBC presenter wife

Balding first met her wife, broadcaster Alice Arnold, in 1999 while they were both working for the BBC. While they were simply good friends at first, they began dating in 2002, after a national newspaper publicly revealed Balding’s sexuality.

The pair entered into a civil partnership in 2006 before getting married in a private ceremony in 2015, following the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the UK. Their marriage was subsequently back-dated to 2006.

Balding has described Arnold, who worked as a newsreader and continuity announcer at BBC Radio 4 for over two decades, as “fiercely loyal” and her “own little guard dog”.

Reflecting on their first meeting, the Wimbledon presenter confessed she was unaware of Arnold’s identity when she first noticed her at a BBC show, but added: “I saw her and thought ‘Oh, she’s really interesting and rather beautiful. We started chatting and she’s very funny. We were friends for at least two years.”

Balding recently spoke more candidly about her relationship with Arnold during an interview with Hello! Magazine, crediting her wife as the inspiration behind her debut novel ‘Pastures New’, which hit shelves in September.

“One of the things I wanted to write about in my novel was about falling in love because I thought ‘I know that’,” she explained. “I know what real, deep love is and meeting someone I want to grow old with. Lucky, lucky me.”

In the same interview, she revealed that she and Arnold are preparing to leave their long-time home in Chiswick as they look to fill the “canine-shaped hole” in their lives by getting a new dog.

“We’re looking to move out of London in the near future, and one of the main reasons for that is to have a bit more space and protection from the road so that it’s a good environment for a dog,” said Balding. “As soon as we’re settled, it’s definitely our plan – probably next spring. I just smile at the thought of having a dog back in our lives.”

On how she and Arnold spend their time together, she spoke about their love of golf, adding: “I’m not as good as Alice, who’s a seven-handicap golfer, but I’m working on getting better”. She also discussed the couple’s travel plans, explaining: “Alice and I are about to go from New York up to Quebec and back again and we’re going to Japan on a cruise next year. We love being on the water and then ending up in a new place.”

Balding’s relationship with Arnold came after she previously dated men, with one of her former partners even proposing to her. However, she turned down the proposal and never regretted the decision, explaining that he went on to “behave appallingly”.

“I had a few boyfriends, not like loads,” she recalled. “But I had one very serious boyfriend for two or three years. He asked me to marry him, and he was in the Army, and he was going off. And I thought, ‘He’s only asking me because he thinks he’s in danger and, according to romantic films, I’m meant to say yes at this point’.

“I knew I didn’t want to. I said, ‘Look, that’s a lovely thing to say but ask me again when you come back’. When he came back he didn’t ask me again, and I thought, ‘Thank God’. I thought, ‘I don’t trust you and I’ll never trust you’ – and funnily enough I was absolutely spot on as his ex-wife told me not that long ago.”

She added: “That relationship ended not very well with him behaving appallingly. I think I was damaged by that, but that doesn’t make you gay. I just think when I first fell in love with a woman, it was completely different.”

Cancer battle

In 2009, Balding revealed she had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer after spotting a lump on her neck while watching herself present on television.

Warning signs of the condition include a lump in the neck, a painful throat and swallowing difficulties that persist, and after heeding her family’s advice to consult a doctor, she was told she had cancer and needed an operation. Balding then underwent surgery to remove a cyst, her thyroid gland and a lymph node, followed by radioactive iodine treatment to halt the disease’s progression.

She later admitted to going through a “dark stage” after her diagnosis, as she feared the potential impacts of her illness on her voice and career. However, she received the all-clear at the end of 2010 and has since seen her career flourish.

During a recent appearance on the Stick to Rugby podcast, she opened up about her diagnosis, recalling: “It was an odd one because I hadn’t noticed feeling any different. I was doing the show jumping at Christmas when it was at Olympia and I recorded an opening link, and I was watching it back on the monitor as we were about to go live.

“I was looking at the mirror and I saw this lump on my neck, a big lump. I thought, ‘Wow, that’s really weird, where has that come from?’ I went home for Christmas and my sister-in-law’s Welsh grandfather was a doctor, and he looked at it. He was still a practising GP and he said that I’d better go to the doctor. He took Alice to one side and said, ‘Make sure she goes’.

“Between Christmas and New Year, when the doctor’s surgery was open, I went and the GP did some tests and he sent me to a specialist. They came back and said, ‘You’ve got thyroid cancer’ and they had to operate.”

Pointing to her neck, she added: “I’ve got a cracking scar there, they had to operate three times. I was most worried about my voice because of where the surgery is. I was thinking, please don’t hit my vocal cords. I came back and was commentating on the tennis for the radio and I couldn’t hit the notes, the vocal cords weren’t meeting properly.

“Anyway, it came back and I was all fine and I got my bass notes back – but that was all I was worried about. I then had radioactive iodine therapy, but that’s all right, because it’s not as bad as chemo.”

Body transformation

Today, Balding is healthier than ever, having shed one-and-a-half stone by eliminating a few food and drink items from her diet.

During her Hello! interview, the 54-year-old revealed that she had embraced a low-carb diet, ditching pasta and bread while also reducing her sugar consumption. She also modified her drinking habits, choosing gin and tonic over red wine.

After overhauling her eating habits, Balding says she not only “feels better” but has gained fresh confidence as she can now wear whatever she wants.

“I’ve worked hard at it and feel better,” she said. “I got into my 50s and thought, ‘I’m just going to be fat and happy’, but then a friend talked about a low-carb diet and the late Michael Mosley publicised this form of weight loss, too, and I thought, I’ll give it one more go – as I’ve tried so many diets over the years – and see if it works. And it did!”

Revealing she no longer eats bread or pasta and as little sugar as possible, she added: “And if I want a drink, I have a gin and tonic instead of wine, so I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself of things.

“I’m never going to be stick thin – that’s just not me. I’ve got massive bones. But I can now put on a pair of trousers with a belt and my shirt tucked in and I went for years without being able to do that. That feels great.”

A British woman who recently moved her family to Florida in the US has shared the top 10 things they don’t like about living in the sunshine state. There are certain things they seem to hate

A British family have relocated to America, but they’ve confessed there are certain aspects of life in the US they’re struggling to adjust to, and she’s not the first expat to be shocked by the differences. The woman who documents their experience under the username brits.inthesunshinestate on TikTok has revealed the 10 things the family dislike about living in Florida.

Despite only residing in the US for a matter of months, there are certain things they simply cannot get used to, and they’ve now laid them all bare. Emily posted her thoughts in a recent video, and her opinions have certainly sparked considerable debate.

It’s not the first occasion Brits have voiced their perspectives on the American lifestyle either. Previously, it emerged some Brits consider certain American customs completely impolite.

In the footage, she revealed: “Number one, the public bathroom stalls. The doors have a gap, probably like that either side. You can see straight through them.

“If you are sat on the toilet or, if you are washing your hands, you can see the reflection in the mirror. You can see people moving, you can see people’s clothes. I don’t like it, I don’t like the lack of privacy.

“Number two, WhatsApp does not really exist much out here. It’s all about texting and, to me, that is old school.

“Three, Florida drivers. They are wild, they are aggressive. In time, I will get used to it but, for now, it’s still a little bit crazy.

“Four. Since we’ve been here, we have had multiple people soliciting at our door, trying to sell their business, because they happen to be in the neighbourhood or going door to door. Don’t like that. We can stop it by putting a ‘no soliciting’ thing on our door. We can get that fixed.”

In the clip, Emily also pointed out the family aren’t keen on sluggish pumps at petrol stations either. According to her, filling up can “take forever.”

She also highlighted that post can take ages to turn up, unless you’re ordering from Amazon Prime. Based on her experience, she said her mail can take anything from a week to 10 days to arrive.

Insects can also be “relentless” during the evening when you go for a stroll, she added. As soon as the sun goes down, she said they appear everywhere, and she finds it really annoying.

Snakes have also been a problem for her, though she admitted one she spotted was “fine.” Emily explained they have found a cottonmouth snake in the garden, and she didn’t like this as they can be dangerous.

Last but not least, she also admitted she thinks the healthcare system is “confusing.” Even though she likes how it’s run, she doesn’t like how tricky it is to understand.

She said there’s a lot of paperwork, and it’s something they’ll have to learn to get used to. Emily admitted it’s up to them to learn all they need to know about the system. Despite listing the downsides, she insisted that moving was still the best decision they’ve ever made.

The family are over the moon with their new life and adore living in the States. The video has racked up thousands of views since it was posted, sparking a flurry of comments, and opinions were decidedly split.

One viewer remarked: “As an American, we don’t like our stalls either. Might as well leave the door open wide.”

Another commented: “That’s exactly what I thought when I went to the USA years ago. I couldn’t live there because of the public toilets.”

A third responded: “I’ve lived in America for five years and I’ve never seen snakes.” Meanwhile, a fourth added: “All my bills come by email.”

Another person chimed in with: “Most drivers aren’t from Florida. They are either tourists or live here but moved from another state. It does make driving tricky though.”

If there’s a scene that best encapsulates the tragically abbreviated career of John Candy, it’s not necessarily from his time on the sketch-comedy series “SCTV” or from movies like “Stripes” or “Uncle Buck.” It’s a moment in the 1987 comedy-drama “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” when his reluctant roommate Neal Page (played by Steve Martin) has spent several minutes berating him for his relentless storytelling.

With a lump in his throat, Candy’s wounded character Del Griffith replies that he’s proud of who he is. “I like me,” he says. “My wife likes me. My customers like me. Because I’m the real article — what you see is what you get.”

That moment proves pivotal to two new projects that retrace Candy’s life and work some 31 years after the actor died from a heart attack at the age of 43. The actor would have turned 75 this month.

A biography, “John Candy: A Life in Comedy,” written by Paul Myers (released by House of Anansi Press on Tuesday), and a documentary, “John Candy: I Like Me,” directed by Colin Hanks (released Friday on Prime Video), both rely on Candy’s friends, family members and colleagues to help tell the story of his ascent, his success and the void left by his death.

In their own ways, both the book and the film show how Candy — while not without his demons — was beloved by audiences for his fundamental and authentic likability, and why he is still mourned today for the potential he never got to completely fulfill.

A family photo of John Candy and his son, Chris, seen in “John Candy: I Like Me.” (Prime Video)

John Candy, left, and Steve Martin in “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.” (Paramount Pictures)

Explaining why it was still important to memorialize Candy all these years later, Ryan Reynolds, the “Deadpool” star and a producer of the documentary, said, “When it’s something people desperately miss, but they don’t know they miss it, it’s a beautiful and rare thing. John Candy is a person that they missed desperately.”

Since his death, Candy’s immediate survivors — his widow, Rosemary; daughter, Jennifer Candy-Sullivan; and son, Chris Candy — have weighed the pluses and minuses of sharing his life with audiences and the impact it might have on them (the three are co-executive producers on the film). “It’s a balancing act,” said Chris Candy. “You want to live your life and you also want to honor theirs.”

In recent years, Candy’s children said they were encouraged by documentaries like Morgan Neville’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” about the children’s TV broadcaster Fred Rogers, as well as Hanks’ film “All Things Must Pass,” about the Tower Records retail chain.

Hanks, whose father, Tom, acted with Candy in films like “Splash” and “Volunteers,” said he struggled at first to find a compelling way to tell the story of Candy, who had a seemingly charmed and uncontroversial acting career, first in his native Toronto and then in Hollywood.

But Hanks said he was drawn into Candy’s story by a particular detail: the fact that Candy’s own father, Sidney, had died from heart disease at the age of 35, right before John turned 5. “It doesn’t take much to think about how traumatic that could be for anyone at any age,” Hanks said.

Chris Candy, from left, Jennifer Candy-Sullivan and Colin Hanks, who directed the Prime Video documentary “John Candy: I Like Me.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Myers, a musician and journalist who has written books about the band Barenaked Ladies and comedy troupe the Kids in the Hall, said he was drawn to Candy as a fellow Canadian and an embodiment of the national comedic spirit.

“If you’re Canadian like I am, you never stop thinking about John Candy,” Myers said. Growing up in the Toronto area, Myers said he and his siblings — including his brother Mike, the future “Shrek” and “Austin Powers” star — were avid fans of sketch comedy shows like “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” and “Saturday Night Live.”

But “SCTV,” which launched stars like Candy, Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy, meant even more to them. “We watched it from Day 1 and we cheered a little bit harder for them because it was like they were shooting the show blocks away from our house,” Myers said.

Reynolds, who was born and raised in Vancouver, said that Candy’s essential Canadian spirit was crucial to his success as a comic actor.

“In comedy, Canadians typically don’t punch down,” Reynolds said. “It’s more of a self-effacing humor. Their favorite target is themselves. And John did that. On screen, I felt his willingness and joy in self-effacing humor that never really veered into self-loathing humor.”

Ryan Reynolds at the Los Angeles screening of “I Like Me” earlier this month. The actor was a producer on the film.

(Todd Williamson / January Images)

Candy parlayed his repertoire of “SCTV” characters — satirical media personalities like Johnny LaRue and real-life celebrities like Orson Welles — into supporting parts in hit films like “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “The Blues Brothers,” “Brewster’s Millions” and “Spaceballs.”

His penchants for drinking and smoking were well-known and hardly out of the ordinary for that era; they rarely impeded Candy’s work and, in at least one notable instance, seem to have enhanced it: Both the documentary and the biography recount how Candy indulged in a late-night bender with Jack Nicholson before rising the next morning to shoot a scene in “Splash” where his character fumbles, flails and smokes his way through a round of racquetball.

“That’s his work ethic, right there,” said Candy-Sullivan. “He showed up and he did the scene.”

Candy graduated to lead roles in comedies like “Summer Rental,” “The Great Outdoors” and “Who’s Harry Crumb?,” and he found a kindred spirit in the writer and director John Hughes, who helped provide Candy with some of his most enduring roles in movies like “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” “Uncle Buck” and “Home Alone.”

But offscreen, Candy was contending with anxiety and he was sensitive to people’s judgments about his size — remarks which often came directly from TV interviewers who thought nothing of asking him point-blank whether Candy was planning to lose weight.

When he and his sister watched archival footage of these interviews in the documentary, Chris Candy said, “It was, for both of us, uncomfortable. I wasn’t familiar with what he was putting up with and how he would mentally jujitsu in and out of those conversations. He got more and more curt about it as time goes on, and you can see it in the interviews.”

But these psychic wounds didn’t make Candy a cruel or nasty person; he simply absorbed the hurt and redoubled his efforts to be a genial performer.

“If you’re looking for darkness in the story of John Candy, a lot of it’s just internalized pain,” Myers said. “His own coping mechanism was radical niceness to everybody — making human connections so that he would have community and feel like he’s making things better.”

In the early 1990s, Candy seemed to be working nonstop. He appeared in five different feature films in 1991 alone, a year that included duds like “Nothing But Trouble” as well as a small but potentially transformative role in Oliver Stone’s drama “JFK,” where he played the flamboyant attorney Dean Andrews Jr. He was preparing his own directorial debut, a TV film called “Hostage For a Day” in which he starred with George Wendt. Candy also became a co-owner and one-man pep squad for the Toronto Argonauts, the Canadian Football League team.

Eventually, the many demands and stresses in his life came to a head. Amid a grueling shoot for the western comedy “Wagons East” in Durango, Mexico, Candy died on March 4, 1994. He had a private funeral in the Los Angeles area, followed by a public memorial in Toronto that prompted a national outpouring of grief in Canada.

“He represented the best of us,” Myers said. “He was a humanity-centric person. He brought vulnerability and humility to his characters, which is not something you usually see in broad comedy.”

Candy’s films continue to play on television and streaming — both “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and “Home Alone” have become year-end holiday staples. But for the people involved in chronicling Candy’s life, there is a creeping sense that the actor’s legacy will not tend to itself, and that the generations who did not grow up with Candy might need reminders of what made him worth remembering.

Hanks recalled a story from the making of “I Like Me” where he and some colleagues were dining at a restaurant where the hostess asked them what they were working on.

“We said we’re making a documentary,” Hanks said. “ ‘Oh, really?’ she goes. ‘Who’s it about?’ It’s about John Candy. She goes, ‘Oh, who’s that?’ No idea who it was. I said, well, have you seen ‘Home Alone’? Remember the polka guy that picks up the mom and takes her in the van? ‘Oh, I loved him. He’s great.’”

Part of his interest in making a film about Candy, Hanks said, is “wanting to showcase the man that people love and remind them why they loved them.”

But there is also the simple pleasure in introducing Candy’s work to people who haven’t seen it before. “If you’re lucky,” Hanks said, “you get to hopefully have them go, ‘God, I want to see those movies. I want to go watch ‘SCTV.’”

Adam and Tara Short, originally from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, moved to a new home thousands of miles away from their ‘rat race’ lifestyle

A family have left the UK behind, moving 6,000 miles to Mauritius in a bid to “escape the rat race” and now they say it’s like being on “a permanent holiday”.

Adam Short, 44, and his wife, Tara, 38, took their two children – Spencer, nine, and Xander, four – to Mauritius for a holiday in November 2024. After returning to their Sheffield home and resuming their 8am-6pm workdays, they yearned for a “slower pace of life”.

The Short family are happy with their move, despite living costs being very similar in the two countries. They feel their new life is worth it because of Mauritius’ beautiful beaches, hot summers, friendly neighbours and increased family time.

They say they dpon’t miss the UK’s gloomy weather, long working hours and never-ending traffic jams.

Have you swapped the UK for a home abroad? We’d love to hear from you, whether you love it there or regret the move. Email [email protected]

READ MORE: Gorgeous Greek island with 24C weather in October but no tourist crowds

OPINION

Milo Boyd

Tara, a CEO, and Adam, a car sales business owner, decided to rent out their four-bedroom UK home and booked one-way tickets to Grand Baie in July. With nothing more than five suitcases, the parents and their sons embarked on their new adventure.

They made a pact that if they weren’t happy after two years, they’d return to the UK. However, after settling into a rented four-bedroom house with a pool, just a stone’s throw from the beach, it doesn’t look like the family will be heading back anytime soon.

The two lads are attending an international private school costing £5,000-a-year, while both the parents say they can continue running their UK businesses flexibly from Mauritius.

Adam said: “Back in the UK, we weren’t being a proper family – we were just existing together. We were desperate to get away from the rat race. We thought there had to be a better standard of life out in Mauritius – and there is.

“We work less hours because we can be more productive. The kids finish school at 2.30pm so we can go to the beach or in the pool together. We enjoy as much family time as we can. I get asked every day on social media how we managed to do this – but it’s achievable if you just commit to it.”

The parents began mulling over relocating to a different culture after realising they were barely spending time with their own children.

Adam said: “I used to say to my friends, ‘I feel like I don’t know my kids.’ I would see them every day, but it was all rushing around, getting them ready for school, tea, bed.”

Being ahead of UK time means the parents can complete several hours of work before any of the UK teams begin their day – leaving them feeling more efficient without interruptions. They’re also able to work flexible hours throughout the day, allowing them to take afternoons off to spend quality time with their sons after school.

Despite being outsiders, the Short family say they’ve been welcomed. Adam said: “Everyone is so lovely – we’ve been invited to a meal at a Mauritian family’s home this weekend. Mauritian life is very family-focused which is what we want.

“On the weekends, you go down to the beach and hundreds of families are out all having barbecues with little gazebos. When you walk past, every family will invite you to join them and share their food. All the kids play together. It’s lovely.”

Regarding expenses, Adam explained that whilst some items cost more in Mauritius – others work out cheaper.

He believes that overall, the relocation hasn’t resulted in financial savings – but they enjoy a superior quality of life for their outgoings.

Adam said that a weekly grocery shop costs £200, plus an additional £20 spent on fresh fruit and vegetables at the market. Since the majority of food and beverages are brought in from abroad, alcohol prices in tourist-orientated eateries mirror those found across the UK.

Dining at local Creole venues can prove far more budget-friendly. Adam explained: “At a local Creole place, you can get a nice meal with a bottle of South African wine for £40. Touristy spots near the beachfront, you’d pay £100-£120 for that.

“The supermarkets are expensive because things are imported, but the fresh fruit and veg at the market is so much fresher and cheaper. We have rotis for breakfast now instead of cereal – a type of flatbread-like street food – and you buy them from the street sellers for about 20p each. So when you first get here, you assume everything is expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.”

On the whole, the family are besotted with their fresh start – with Adam confessing they’re currently too engrossed in the local culture to dwell on what’s going on in Britain.

Mum Vikki White had never been on a coach holiday before when she headed to Newquay with her mother and young daughter but she wasn’t prepared for what awaited

What do a six-year-old girl and an 80-something-year-old mum have in common? They both loved our classic British coach holiday to Newquay!

According to latest research, us Brits are thoroughly embracing multi-generational travel, which is why I decided it was time for me to try out the trend.

My six-year-old , my mother and me (a 40-something) were keen to spend a few days together in the school holidays and a Daish’s Holidays coach trip to Newquay looked to meet all of our requirements.

It’s safe to say I was a bit unsure – from sunshine breaks to skiing to UK jaunts, I try to squeeze in as many holidays as I can each year, but a coach trip was a first.

Thankfully, from the moment we hopped onboard our luxury vehicle, we felt right at home. Much to my relief, given the 320-mile trip we were embarking on, the coach was modern, boasting comfy seats with foot rests and air conditioning.

READ MORE: Ryanair issues holiday alert to Brits flying to Europe in October

So far, so good. Many of the friendly clientele on board told us they regularly took Daish’s Holidays coach trips, which was surely a good sign. They explained it isn’t a mode of travel for the impatient—we stopped at several service stations for rest along the way. With a bit of traffic as we headed down towards the South West region, we only just made it for dinner at our home for the next four nights, the Barrowfield Hotel.

Close to Newquay’s seafront, the 80-room residence is managed by Frank, who stepped on board the coach to personally greet us. My daughter was keen to hand over her ‘golden ticket’ to another member of the smiling staff at reception and was thrilled to be offered a choice of toys in return. There were only a few children staying at the hotel, and I thought this was a lovely touch.

Just like on the coach, we had our own seats in the dining room for our half-board meals, which needed to be selected in the morning for the evening and vice versa. From breakfast fry-ups to roast dinners with apple crumbles, dishes here are hearty and traditional.

The evening entertainment in the bar ranged from cabaret dancing and quizzes to live singers and bingo, with a kids’ games room providing even more entertainment. The number one attraction for all three of us at the hotel, however, was the indoor, heated swimming pool. We made full use of this during our stay and often had it to ourselves.

Keen to explore Newquay, we were pleased to find its tourist heart a short seafront stroll away. We tried out the Blue Reef Aquarium Newquay, which sits above lively Towan Beach and my daughter loved the informative talks about its resident Loggerhead Turtle and Blacktip Reef Sharks.

My mother was keener to try some of the trendy coffee shops on offer, and we particularly loved Mothersurf with its amazing cheese toasties. There are plenty of shops to peruse, and we couldn’t resist a play in one of the traditional arcades, with game machines spitting out tickets for every win that could be exchanged for prizes.

Back to the Barrowfield Hotel, where our bedrooms were spacious, with comfortable beds and great walk-in showers. And while our half board deal was a total bargain, we couldn’t resist heading out to check out local eateries on two of our nights’ stay – our favourite was Ginger and Joe, which offered tasty artisanal small plates and fabulous cocktails.

On our third day, we signed up for an optional coach trip to St Ives, the picturesque seaside town we decided was the perfect place to indulge in a cream tea. We headed to the Scoff Troff Cafe and were not disappointed. Being in Cornwall, we were sure to spread the layer of jam first before applying clotted cream!

Another highlight of this day out was the Tate St Ives, which had some brilliant activities on offer for youngsters. As for me, I loved the gift shop, which was filled with unique and creative finds. The Tate sits above the soft, sandy Porthmeor Beach, where we grabbed a coffee in one of the most stunning cafes I’ve ever seen before heading back to base.

As for Newquay, we had one more day to explore before making the long journey back up North. We first spent some time snuggled up on one of our hotel’s comfy sofas, chatting to our fellow guests who had become friends. We next headed out to paddle our feet in the water at beautiful Tolcarne Beach, which is just 200 yards away from the hotel.

We enjoyed a final potter into the lively city centre too, where we bought henna tattoos to mark our girls’ trip away, before returning to the Barrowfield to pack up ahead of our early start the next morning. I loved how clear the communication is on a Daish’s holiday – from what time we were going to eat to the exact time of our departure, it was all made easy for us.

As we prepared to depart, my mum told the hotel manager, Frank, that my daughter had pronounced our trip the best holiday of her life. Much to her delight, this earned her a large Daish’s teddy bear, which took pride of place on the coach back home!

We all felt the same – we had had a blast, and as we said goodbye to our driver and fellow passengers, we decided we needed to make our short coach break an annual occurrence. Daish’s Holidays offers a range of UK destinations from Llandudno to Eastbourne and Scarborough to Torquay, so we just need to decide where to go next.

Book the holiday

A Daish’s Holiday package includes luxury coach travel or free hotel guest parking on-site at most locations, convenient pickup and drop-off along popular routes, breakfast and three-course evening meals every day and on-site entertainment. Prices from £179 to £379 for self-drive and from £199 to £399 for the coach. Early Booking and Kids Go Free discounts also apply.

Taylor Swift is “shockingly” offended by the idea that “The Life of a Showgirl” could be — given her recent engagement to Travis Kelce — her final album.

“It is not the last album. That’s not why people get married,” the singer told BBC Radio 2 on Monday.

“They love to panic sometimes,” she said, talking about conspiracy theorists in the Swifty-verse, “but it’s like, I love the person I am with because he loves what I do and he loves how much I am fulfilled by making art and making music.”

Rumors started to make their rounds after the couple announced their engagement in August through a joint Instagram post. Fans speculated that after she said “I do,” she would have children and move on from music — or so BBC host Scott Mills had informed his guest.

Wait, mothers can’t have careers? Swift called that a “shockingly offensive thing to say.”

Weeks earlier, the Grammy-winning singer announced the impending arrival of her 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” on her now-fiancé’s podcast hosted along with brother Jason Kelce. Since the release last week, the rumors grew louder and louder, with some fans predicting this album would be it for the pop artist.

To which Swift pushed back:

“That’s the coolest thing about Travis, he is so passionate about what he does that me being passionate about what I do, it connects us,” Swift said.

Their passions in life aren’t so different, according to the singer.

“We both, as a living, as a job, as a passion, perform for 3½ hours in NFL stadiums,” the showgirl said. “We both do 3½-hour shows to entertain people.”

When she’s touring, she gets a dressing room, Swift said, but when he’s playing in the same space, they call it a locker room.

“It’s a very similar thing and we’re both competitive in fun ways, not in ways that eat away at us,” she added.

Over the weekend, while Kelce prepared for the Kansas City Chiefs’ “Monday Night Football” game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the future Mrs. Tight End released “Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” in theaters. The experience earned $33 million over the weekend, topping the box office, according to Box Office Mojo.

The music video for the album’s opening track, “The Fate of Ophelia,” premiered along with the release-party movie. Swift wrote and directed it.

“[The music video] is very, like, big and glitzy and it’s so fun and it’s supposed to be like the day in the life of a showgirl,” she said.

Multitasking has become a norm for the “Cruel Summer” singer, who juggled her last tour with the recording of the album.

Swift said she flew to Sweden on multiple occasions during the Eras Tour to record the album. Her loyal inner circle did not leak any information.

“My friends don’t rat, they do not rat and you can tell by the amount of stories about me that are out there that are absolutely not true,” she said.

OK, Swifties, you can breathe now. You can stop looking for clues into whether this is it for Tay-tay’s music career. Shake it off until her next release.

Over the last decade or so, publishers of American genre fiction have borrowed a page from Hollywood’s playbook by essentially packaging novels like films, grafting together collaborators from two different A-lists: those that feature bestselling novelists and major celebrities. Large commercial rewards have been reaped from these crossbred literary partnerships. Bill and Hillary Clinton, to name just two examples, have both enjoyed bestsellers with big-time writing partners James Patterson and Louise Penny, respectively.

Now we have Reese Witherspoon, already a major force in American publishing, teaming up with Harlan Coben, one of the world’s biggest selling thriller writers, to create “Gone Before Goodbye,” a book that taps into our fascination with the follies of the impossibly rich at the same time that it ponders real questions about the ethics of social engineering via medical advances in organ regeneration.

Now, it must be said that book critics are cynical snobs by nature, and something like “Gone Before Goodbye,” which at first blush seems to have been a project drummed up in a talent agency conference room, is prone to be received with a derisory scoff and a stiff-armed shove from those who are just waiting to sink their teeth into the new Thomas Pynchon novel. But this is Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon we’re talking about here, two formidable talents whose track record for delivering smart entertainment is unimpeachable. “Gone Before Goodbye” is not some magpie creature patched together from shopworn thriller tropes, even if certain plot elements feel a bit much. Instead, what the two authors have delivered is a story that pulls the reader deep into a rarefied world where ethics are mere technicalities and the needs of the rich take precedence over petty trivialities like, say, morality.

The book’s protagonist, Maggie McCabe, a brilliant Army combat surgeon who, along with her husband, Marc, and their friend Trace, teamed up after college to create WorldCures Alliance, “one of the world’s most dynamic charities, specializing in providing medical services for the most impoverished,” working as field surgeons risking their lives on the front lines in Afghanistan and the Middle East. The trio once had big plans centered on the prototype of an artificial heart they designed, THUMPR7, which they were convinced would change the world by extending the lives of millions, rich, poor or otherwise.

When the book begins, these plans have been torn asunder: Marc, as it transpires, has been killed in a rebel attack on a refugee camp in Libya. Trace has gone missing along with the artificial heart prototype. And Maggie has lost her medical license due to a hiccup of bad judgment on her part. At loose ends and broke, Maggie, and the reader, are then swept into a strange adventure when a successful cosmetic surgeon named Evan Barlow approaches her with an offer to wipe out her family’s debts in exchange for Maggie committing to perform surgery for a client in Russia who is willing to pay her millions.

Off Maggie goes into the dirty world of the Russian oligarchy, in a city called Rublevka, “perhaps the wealthiest residential area in the world,” where a shady creep named Oleg Ragoravich, one of the 10 wealthiest and most reclusive Russian billionaires, has a job for her. It’s well below Maggie’s pay grade: Oleg wants augmentation mammoplasty for his mistress Nadia. Ragoravich is predictably oleaginous, a man with a file cabinet full of hidden agendas, but he is charmingly persuasive, and the money has already been wired into Maggie’s account. She is in before she even has a chance to back out.

Naturally, there is a great deal more involved than a simple boob job. Without giving too much away, Witherspoon and Coben in this novel have tapped into the wealthy’s obsession with using technology to foster super-agers. As the stakes get higher, the plot ripples out into larger and larger concentric circles that envelop Maggie’s life and everyone in it. But there is so much to take in while this happens, so much voyeuristic pleasure to be had as Maggie acclimates into an almost impossibly lush and lavish world that toggles between Russia and Dubai, the de facto playground for raffish oligarchs intent on bad behavior.

Witherspoon and Coben revel in the details. The plane that spirits Maggie from New York to Russia is a “full-size 180-seat Airbus A320 renovated for private use,” kitted out with a 65-inch contoured TV, a gourmet kitchen and a marble ensuite bathroom with an “oversize rain showerhead.” Ragoravich’s dacha is a “garish and almost grotesque” palace clad in marble that makes Maggie think of Versailles, but in a way that makes Versailles seem dumpy. Everything within is “not so much an attempt to classily suggest opulence and power as to batter you with it.” This is the kind of thriller that invites you into a gilded empyrean that compels you and repels you in equal measure.

The book’s plot mechanics hum along with great pace and verve, even if a few of its particulars are too far-fetched to swallow. With “Gone Before Goodbye,” the two authors deliver a fun ride into a shadow land where the rich are convinced that money can insulate them from everything, including their own mortality — even if they have to murder a few people to get there.

Weingarten is the author of “Thirsty: William Mulholland, California Water, and the Real Chinatown.”

Luc Robitaille knew his hockey playing career was over when it took him longer to get his battered body ready for a game than it did to play it.

“It became harder and harder physically,” said Robitaille, whose next stop was the hall of fame. “I think I knew at that point.”

And once his mind was made up, there was no turning back.

For Anze Kopitar, who is in the peak of good health, the decision was a little different. The Kings’ longtime center announced last month that, at 38, he will retire after this season and spend more time with his family. But, like Robitaille, there will be no turning back.

“I’m not going to change my mind,” he said.

In fact, he’s not going to change anything. Kopitar said he’s approaching this season, his 20th with the Kings, the same way he approached the first 19.

“The last few years, I told myself that I have to enjoy it because you don’t know when the ending is com[ing],” he said. “So I’ve been enjoying it. I’m obviously having a lot of fun, still playing the game. This year won’t be any different.

“The focus is still on this season.”

A season that kicks off Tuesday when the Kings host the Colorado Avalanche. But while Kopitar is starting the season the same way as always, he’s hoping for a different ending since the Kings’ last four years have ended with first-round playoff losses to the Edmonton Oilers.

Another Stanley Cup title would be a nice parting gift, especially since Kopitar, entering a team-record 10th season as captain, would be the first man to hoist the trophy, an honor that went to Dustin Brown when the Kings won in 2012 and 2014.

“I’d like to win every year. I’d like to win this year,” he said.

“My kids weren’t born when we won, so I’d like to win so they can experience that feeling too.”

Kings captain Anze Kopitar skates during a game against the Chicago Blackhawks in March.

(Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

However Kopitar’s season finishes, his career will end with him joining Robitaille, now the Kings president, in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is the Kings’ all-time leader in games (1,454), assists (838) and winning goals (78) and ranks in the top three in goals, points, plus-minus and power-play scores.

And just nine players in NHL history have played more games with one team than Kopitar, who has spent his entire career with the Kings.

Unlike Robitaille, he’s hardly hobbling off into retirement. He led the Kings with 46 assists and was second with 67 points last season, playing in 81 of 82 games. He also won his third Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which goes to the player exhibiting the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct in the NHL.

But his two children — daughter Neza, 10, is a talented figure skater and son Jakob, 9, plays hockey — deserve more of his time and attention, he said.

“I still love to be in hockey and I’m still productive,” Kopitar said. “But on the flip side, the kids need their dad to be more present and be a dad, not a hockey player. I can walk away on my own terms and not be forced to retire because of injuries and because the body’s not holding up.”

Anze Kopitar and his wife, Ines, attend a Lakers game at Crypto.com Arena in January 2024.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

That wasn’t Robitaille’s experience. A fractured ankle late in career and lower back pain so severe he could hardly get out of bed, led to his retirement in 2006, less than six months before Kopitar’s NHL debut.

“It kind of felt to me that I had squeezed everything out of the lemon. There was nothing left,” Robitaille said. “I was really at peace.”

As for what advice he’d give his captain, Robitaille said he’ll tell Kopitar to make time to stop and smell the roses on his last trip around the league.

“If you listen to 99% of the guys that retire in any sport, the one thing they miss is the [locker] room,” he said. “So when you know you’re near the end, you’ve got to make sure you pay attention to every one of those little moments that you’re going to miss for the next 50 years of your life.

“You’re playing a game. You’re 30 years old or 40 years old — 38 for Kopi — and he’s playing a game. It’s amazing. Most people don’t get to do that in their life, you know?”

Kopitar’s decision comes with the Kings at a crossroads. They tied team records for points (105) and wins (48) last season while going a franchise-best 31-6-4 at home in Jim Hiller’s first full season as coach. That earned the team second place in the Pacific Division, its best finish in a decade.

Kings captain Anze Kopitar, left, speaks to defenseman Drew Doughty during a game against the Winnipeg Jets in December 2023.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The postseason was déjà vu all over again, however, with the Oilers eliminating the Kings.

General manager Rob Blake resigned four days later and was replaced by Ken Holland, who won four Stanley Cups as GM of the Detroit Red Wings. The Kings’ core is also in transition because when Kopitar steps aside, only defenseman Drew Doughty will remain from their Stanley Cup-winning teams.

“Passing the torch, [we]’ve been trying to for the past few years, been trying to mentor some of the kids in this locker room,” Kopitar said. “Maybe that’s what it is.”

Holland had mixed results in his first summer with the Kings, adding forwards Corey Perry (who will miss the first month of the season because of a knee injury) and Joel Armia, defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci and goalkeeper Anton Forsberg, and re-signing winger Andrei Kuzmenko to a club-friendly contract.

Also back are leading scorers Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe, who had 35 goals each, wingers Warren Foegele and Quinton Byfield and goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who had a career-best 2.02 goals-against average and finished third in Vezina Trophy voting.

But Holland lost veteran defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to the New York Rangers and failed to land Mitch Marner, the summer’s most-sought player, who wound up in Las Vegas.

And now he’s the team’s first general manager in two decades who has been forced to ponder a future without Anze Kopitar.

Anze Kopitar takes the ice before a game against the Winnipeg Jets in December 2023.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“We’re really going to enjoy having Kopi in the lineup this year. But next summer it’s going to be a big void,” Holland said on the Canucks Central podcast. “He’s big and strong. And it’s hard to find big, strong, talented centermen.

“He’s very intelligent. And I think the team follows his lead.”

As for Kopitar, he’s not thinking past the next nine months. He has the rest of his life to figure out what comes next.

“I haven’t really given too much thought of what’s going to happen [next], except for being home for my kids,” he said. “I’ll take my time and then see what, see what life throws at me.

“I’m going to miss the game of hockey. What I’m not gonna miss is working out, getting ready for the season, all the hours you’ve got to put in. But the game itself, of course, I’m going to miss it. It’s been here for the better part of 35 years. But listen, the summers are going to be more enjoyable.”

Only Taylor Swift could compel hundreds of Angelenos to spend their Saturday morning at a listening party film screening for an album they’ve already heard.

“The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” which hit theaters this weekend for a limited three-day run, features the debut of the Swift-directed “The Fate of Ophelia” music video, behind-the-scenes footage and notes from Swift about the inspiration for each of the songs on her new record, “The Life of a Showgirl.” The 89-minute companion film opened to an estimated $15.8 million on Friday and is projected to gross more than $30 million over the weekend.

The box office success comes as no surprise, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” brought in $96 million in 2023 in its first four days in theaters and became the highest-grossing concert film of all time. Hitting 21 countries in 21 months, the Eras Tour itself earned more than $2 billion in revenue, the first music tour to ever hit that milestone.

Even as “Showgirl” seems destined to become Swift’s most divisive album yet — with critics and fans alike split in their reactions — the Taylormania was palpable Saturday morning at AMC Century City, which that day screened “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” 21 times across three screens.

Madison Story, 34, made sure to catch the film at the luxury Dolby Cinema, calling “Showgirl” Swift’s “most cinematic album yet.”

“When I was listening to it, I just pictured Nora Ephron movies,” Story said. In true rom-com fashion, the longtime Swiftie wore a Lover cardigan. Others sported various Swift tour merch, sequined scarves and showgirl-inspired attire.

Taylor Swift’s new album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” is advertised outside of AMC Century City 15, which is screening “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

As theatergoers took their seats during the prelude to the show, Swift’s “Reputation” opener “Ready for It?” played over a slideshow of “Showgirl” promo photos. At 10 a.m. on the dot, the screen went dark, then switched to an Eras Tour-style countdown clock — set to 12 seconds, for Swift’s 12th studio album (which, naturally, also features 12 songs).

When Swift finally graced the screen to introduce the program, audience members were mesmerized. Hardly anyone made a peep.

“I’m Taylor, the official hypothetical showgirl in question,” Swift said, telling the crowd that in making the movie that’s not quite a movie, she was, as always, “trying to surprise you guys.”

“I hope you guys have a blast. I hope you sing along,” she said.

Despite Swift’s invitation, and the help of lyric displays for each “Showgirl” track, the crowd was surprisingly quiet throughout the screening aside from a few rounds of applause and occasional laughter at Swift’s trademark awkward-girl charisma. (“My bread is actually a music video star!” was a crowd-pleaser.)

“I feel like her quirkiness has been the same since she did [her] debut [album], and it’s neat to see that that has lasted through all the different iterations and eras,” said moviegoer Kelley Sheets, 30.

Sheets and her friends Sarah Borland, 29, and Ariana Diaz, 30, were taken aback by the quiet atmosphere in the auditorium, especially compared to “The Eras Tour” movie.” They suspected the album might be too fresh for people to feel comfortable singing and dancing along.

Attendees’ low energy may have also been a symptom of the morning showtime. Still, their delight was clear from their wide smiles and intermittent head bobbing, most pronounced during the ear-catching “Opalite” chorus.

As expected, some of Swift’s more questionable lyrics — many of which were exponentially funnier as clean versions — garnered some chuckles, and “Actually Romantic,” an alleged Charli XCX diss track, notably concluded without applause. But claps were generous for Swift’s closer, which saw the artist sincerely thanking her fans for being her muse.

“This album was completely inspired by the most incredible time of my life that was so exciting, because you made the Eras Tour what it was,” Swift said.

“The way that that tour felt, the way that it just kind of lit up my whole life, was such a through line of making this music,” she said. “So thank you for being that unknowing inspiration behind the scenes. I was internalizing all of that love and putting it into that record.”

During Swift’s album rollouts more than a decade ago, she hosted listening parties she dubbed “secret sessions.” At these intimate gatherings, the singer gave select fans a sneak peek at her new music, explaining the inspiration for each track and even playing some songs live.

Nick Eittreim, 28, was always jealous of the fans who got to attend those parties. With “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” he said, “It’s like I’m finally invited to that ‘secret session.’”

Rachel Birnam, 30, said while the “secret sessions” were “such a special thing, it’s nice that this is accessible to everybody.”

Taylor Swift fans Nick Eittreim and Melissa Roberts, both 28, arrive for “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” at AMC Century City 15 on Saturday.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Anthony Cendejas, a manager at AMC Century City, said the theater has been noticeably busier with the release of “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl.”

“More people than usual are dressing up,” Cendejas said, adding that many theatergoers have followed up their AMC visits with a stop at “The Life of a Showgirl” TikTok fan activation, running until Oct. 9 in the Westfield Century City Atrium. The immersive experience allows visitors to take photos and videos on a series of sets replicating those in “The Fate of Ophelia” music video.

Jamie Phillips and her daughters Rowan, 11, and Finley, 12, visited the TikTok activation Saturday afternoon. The trio also brought the biggest Swiftie in their family, their Saint Bernard named Lincoln, along with them. In their family photos, Lincoln wore a feather boa to match Rowan and Finley’s.

Jamie Phillips, left, takes a photo of her daughters Finley, 12, center, and Rowan, 11, with their dog Lincoln at a TikTok fan activation for Taylor Swift’s new album.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

When the Phillips family heard “The Life of a Showgirl” for the first time, Jamie Phillips said, “All of us were pleasantly surprised.”

“Usually it takes me, particularly with her albums, a lot of listens to be like, ‘OK, it’s OK,’” she said. But this one they loved on the first go-around.

The trio hadn’t yet made it to “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” but they hoped to squeeze it in Sunday along with a “Gilmore Girls” anniversary event at the Grove.

In the meantime, they couldn’t wait to get back home, where their “Showgirl” merch was waiting for them.

YOU’VE just about got your head around how to look after one small person, and suddenly there’s another one about to be thrown into the mix.

While there’s a lot to be said for having children close in age – a playmate for life, cute matching outfits and parents who haven’t long forgotten the chore of changing nappies and nighttime feeds – caring for two under two is a daunting task.

13

13

Sarah Campus, founder of LDN MUMS FITNESS, is a mum-of-three-under-seven, so knows a thing or two about multi-tasking toddlers and babies.

Here Sarah, who lives in London, shares her top tips for staying sane and keeping both your little ones happy – and the essential items she wouldn’t have been without.

Before baby arrives, Sarah recommends encouraging your toddler to engage in independent play. 

“Get them used to having short periods of playing alone with toys, books or safe activities,” she says. 

“This will build their confidence – and yours – as it will help your toddler then cope when you need to feed, change or settle the newborn.

“Also practice encouraging your toddler to learn to wait a short moment – tell them ‘just a minute, I’ll be right back’ – and then going on to praise them for being patient. 

“This will prepare them for times when the newborn’s needs must come first.”

Sarah also suggests getting your older child involved in simple tasks, such as helping to fetch wipes, tidying toys or choosing a story.

“This builds a sense of responsibility and reduces jealousy when you involve them in caring for the baby,” she explains. 

“Practising independent self-care skills, like encouraging your toddler to climb into their high chair on their own, eating with a spoon, or starting to tidy up their own toys also helps free you up when your hands are full.”

Sarah says establishing a consistent sleep routine with your toddler, if you haven’t already, is key to getting through that first year with two under two.

“Working towards predictable nap and bedtime patterns before the newborn comes will hopefully ensure a more rested toddler, meaning they are less likely to become overwhelmed or act up when the newborn demands your attention at odd hours and odd times,” she says.

Meeting their sibling

13

You may well have found your toddler showed little interest in your bump or the prospect of their new sibling while you were pregnant – but it’s still worth trying to prepare them for the new arrival.

Sarah says: “Talk about the new baby coming early on using age-appropriate language – such as ‘the baby will need lots of cuddles and milk’ – and read picture books about becoming a big sibling.

“Involve them in preparations, too. Let your toddler help choose a blanket, toy or outfit for the baby. It gives them a sense of ownership and responsibility.

“Practise gentle touch by using a doll or soft toy to show how to stroke gently, hold hands or kiss the baby.”

When meeting the baby for the first time, Sarah recommends having the newborn in the cot or someone else’s arms when your toddler walks in, so you can greet them with open arms first. 

“You could even get a little present for the toddler from the newborn as it helps the toddler feel special,” she says.

Practise gentle touch by using a doll or soft toy to show how to stroke gently, hold hands or kiss the baby

Sarah Campus

From then on, try to keep routines consistent – stick to familiar meals, naps and play routines as much as possible. 

“Predictability reassures toddlers in times of change,” Sarah says. “Involve the toddler in jobs such as passing nappies, singing to the baby or choosing which outfit to wear, so that they don’t feel left out.

“Be sure to give your toddler some one-to-one time where they have your undivided attention, to make them feel secure and less likely to act up.

“Acknowledge big feelings – expect some jealousy or regressions, like wanting to be carried or using a dummy again. 

“Reassure them it’s normal and give lots of praise for ‘big sibling’ behaviour. Use praise generously – give them lots when they are gentle, patient, or helpful. Toddlers thrive on positive feedback.”

A great piece of kit for helping your toddler feel ‘involved’ and keeping them engaged, especially when caring for a newborn, is a toddler tower.

The ‘Little Hands’ tower from Baby Elegance is sturdy, stylish and brings them up to kitchen counter height – just make sure nothing harmful is in reach!

13

Getting prepared

One of the biggest considerations ahead of baby’s arrival is which style of pram to opt for – with budget and practicality top of the list of priorities.

It’s worth checking out local mum groups on social media to see if anyone is selling one second-hand – but while that might be lighter on your purse, you may end up having to compromise on other elements.

With two under two, it’s likely you’ll need to think about purchasing a double buggy – or additional parts for your existing pram if it can be modified to transport two children, like the Joolz Geo 3.

Styles of double buggy vary massively, but for the first six months you’ll need one that can take a bassinet for your new arrival, and a seat for your toddler.

There are side-by-side models that offer this but they tend to be quite wide, making it tricky when it comes to fitting through doorways and getting on public transport.

A great, budget-friendly option if you’re looking to buy a brand new pram is the ickle bubba Virgo Travel System.

The Virgo Growing Family 11 Piece Pram offers a whopping 17 possible configurations to suit your growing brood, including two seat units and a carrycot, two footmuffs, two rain covers, a changing rucksack and mat, a buggy organiser and even a cup holder, all for £629.

13

13

Once your little one is comfortable sitting up you could transition to a side-by-side buggy. The advantages of this, Sarah points out, are that both children get the same view, can see all around, and interact with each other.

Narrow models include the Mountain Buggy Duet – which Sarah recommends – and the cheaper Baby Jogger city tour 2 Double, which is just 66.5cm wide and also comes with a handy 5kg capacity storage basket.

While slightly wider, the Nuna TRVL dubl is still very lightweight and suitable for children from birth up to a generous 22kg per seat – great if you have a heavier toddler, as it will last you much longer.

It’s also travel system ready, so you can attach any PIPA series car seat to the wider seat without an adaptor.

If you’re after a lightweight single buggy for quick trips or travelling abroad, the Joolz Aer² is a no-brainer. Suitable from newborn to toddler, it’s easy to steer one-handed and folds up instantly at the touch of a button – plus it’s aeroplane compatible to fit in overhead lockers.

Sarah recommends getting a buggy board once your toddler is confident enough to use one.

“It gives the older child some independence – they can walk, but you have a back-up should they get tired,” she says. 

“This means that you can get out and be about fast and a lot smoother – you don’t need to carry or constantly encourage a tired toddler.

“They are much safer in busy areas as it keeps the older child close to you and you are in control of them, rather than them running ahead or in different directions. 

“It’s a lot cheaper and lighter than perhaps needing a full double buggy if the older child is mostly walking, or if you have three!”

13

Another way of keeping your increasingly independent toddler close to you is a set of toddler reins.

A LittleLife backpack will probably be a more appealing option for your eldest as it features a detachable safety rein while also enabling them to carry their own snacks and toys, helping them feel ‘grown up’.

The Lascal BuggyBoard (available to buy from Cheeky Rascals) is your best bet, as it attaches to 99 per cent of pushchairs, prams and strollers, is anti-slip and comes in a wide range of colourful, fun designs.

Another great buggy accessory – especially if your storage basket is now suddenly taken up by another seat – is a pram organiser, which can double up as a handbag.

13

The Bugaboo organiser is a stylish option (one for the Christmas wish list) as it attaches to your pram handle, keeping your essentials close by, has multiple pockets and a water-repellent design ideal for winter walks.

Sleep routine

If you’re blessed with a toddler who doesn’t wake up during the night, readjusting to interrupted sleep and unpredictable naps can prove challenging.

With two under two, it’s likely you’ll need two cots – though you may choose to have your little one in a next-to-me crib for the first five or six months.

It’s advisable to think ahead and consider investing in a cot that turns into a toddler bed, as this will save you having to buy a bigger one in a couple of years’ time. 

The ickle bubba Snowdown cot bed is a great option as it’s suitable from birth up to four years, and also features a handy integrated under-bed drawer, providing extra nursery room storage.

13

A dual-screen baby monitor will enable you to keep an eye on your little ones simultaneously, without the need for multiple devices.

The Momcozy 5-Inch Dual-mode Smart Baby Monitor comes with two cameras – one for each room – and features two-way communication, so you can coax your toddler back to sleep should they be disturbed.

If a bath is part of your current bedtime routine, this is something your toddler and your baby can enjoy together. The Shnuggle bath is suitable from newborn – if your partner is around (and your bathroom is big enough) one of you can bathe the baby while the other sees to the older child in the big bath.

From six months old your youngest can join their sibling with a bath seat; the Little Smoby Baby Bath Time seat is safe and secure, with suction pads to keep it in place, and they can both enjoy the ‘activities’ on the tray.

Make sure your bath soap is newborn friendly – My Little Miracle Top To Toe Baby Hair and Body Wash comes in a family-friendly 500ml bottle with a pump, making it quick and easy to dispense, and is mild enough for delicate skin.

Slinging it

One of the items Sarah wouldn’t have been without is a sling. This gives you the option to be hands-free while your baby sleeps, meaning you can still interact with your toddler.

There are countless styles on the market – and you may well have found one that was the perfect fit first time around – but in the early days, the softer the better. 

For the comfort and security of a wrap without the faff of having to tie it, the dreamgenii SnuggleRoo Baby Carrier is a fantastic halfway house, ergonomically crafted to mimic the soothing embrace of the womb.

It’s made from 100 per cent cotton, making it super soft, but features adjustable straps and a support band, enabling you to easily adapt between carrying positions as your baby gets bigger.

13

For on-the-go mums after a slightly sturdier carrier, the Carifit Core is a strong contender.

Its clever design, featuring enhanced neck support and a racer back, means babies feel lighter compared to being in other carriers.

Once you’re ready to try to get your baby into a more established nap routine, you’ll know from the first time around that creating the right sleep environment is key – though it’s not always easy with a noisy toddler in the house.

This is where a white noise machine can come in very handy.

The stylish heart-shaped Sleep Machine from Love to Dream offers all the regular features of a smart white noise machine – with a range of sounds, cry detection and the option for continuous or timed periods – and also doubles up as a night light.

The brand’s Swaddle Up suits are also a popular choice among mums, as they let your little one sleep in a natural ‘arms up’ position, reportedly increasing average nightly sleep from three hours 45 minutes to 7 hours 25 minutes!

13

Sarah also recommends a SnoozeShade as this helps to create that dark environment conducive to sleep during the day. You can get them for prams or cots, and they’re made from an air-permeable mesh fabric that lets air flow freely.

You could also invest in a Rockit rocker. Motion can help soothe babies and keep them asleep for longer, so this clever device is super handy, especially if you stop off at a park for your toddler but want to keep your newborn snoozing in the pram.

Feeding

Whether your new baby is breast or formula fed, encouraging your little one to take a bottle can help lighten your load as a new mum-of-two, as it means your partner can step in to help out, especially if your toddler is demanding your attention.

If you choose to exclusively breastfeed, consider investing in a hands-free pump. The Medela Magic InBra pump – available as a single or double – offers hospital-grade performance but is virtually silent, lightweight and super discreet, allowing you to express on the go.

To make life even easier – especially if both your children are still using bottles – you could splash out on a bottle washer. 

Baby Brezza does a three-in-one machine which washes, sterilises and dries bottles and pump parts, killing 99.9 per cent of germs with natural steam.

You won’t need to think about a second high chair until your baby is around six months old, but should you want to ‘include’ your little one in mealtimes sooner, the Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair offers a newborn attachment option.

13

While on the pricier side, the great advantage of the Stokke chair is that it grows with your family – plus the stylish wood designs helps them look like part of the furniture of your kitchen, rather than yet another piece of garish plastic cluttering up your home.

One alternative, if you have a smaller kitchen or don’t fancy having multiple high chairs, is to get a ‘booster seat’ that attaches to an existing chair.

The Chicco Pocket Snack Booster seat is nice and lightweight while still sturdy (great for taking on holiday, to a restaurant or on a trip to the grandparents), comes with a removable serving tray, and takes up minimal storage space.

Sarah’s number one piece of advice is to be kind to yourself, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

“Lower all expectations and take each day as it comes,” she says. “Not only is it all new for your toddler, it’s new for you as well – plus your hormones will be up and down. 

“Be sure to ask for help from others. It takes some of the pressure off you and will help you with the transition, too.”

13

Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who loves Saturday college football games and … catfish?

This week saw the premiere of “Chad Powers,” Hulu’s new comedy starring Glen Powell, who co-created and co-wrote the series with Michael Waldron. It’s based on a viral sketch by former NFL Giants quarterback Eli Manning (he’s a producer on “Chad Powers” as well), who birthed the character. But Powell and Waldron have expanded the premise and backstory of a man named Russ Holliday who makes another go at playing college football by donning a disguise à la “Mrs. Doubtfire.” In a conversation with reporter Kaitlyn Huamani, Powell said the show was an attempt at making the “greatest football experience, whether in movies or TV shows, that people have ever seen.” Times TV critic Robert Lloyd says while the show has some tropes, characters played by Steve Zahn, Perry Mattfeld and Wynn Everett add drama and laughs. Waldron, whose previous TV work is instrumental to the show’s ethos, stopped by Guest Spot this week to talk more about “Chad Powers,” and what he’s watching lately.

Meanwhile, if you’ve been staying up this week, late-night TV has been not only a hotbed of laughs, but also political discourse. On Tuesday, Jimmy Kimmel, who has been taping his L.A.-based show in Brooklyn this week, and Stephen Colbert took turns as guests on each other’s shows, creating a memorable crossover event thanks to some fortuitous timing. It was the first time either has discussed in detail how their shows were disrupted this year — Colbert’s “Late Show” was canceled in July (it will air through May 2026) and Kimmel was suspended by Disney for several days in September. We have a rundown of the conversations along with clips of their visits, which are worth watching. And don’t forget “Saturday Night Live,” another late-night show that’s been in the crosshairs of politicians, returns this weekend for its 51st season, with Bad Bunny as host and Doja Cat as musical guest (we’ll be recapping the show again this season).

This week, our streaming recommendations include films from a master of horror, who is much more multifaceted than he might get credit for, and a new action-packed film on Prime Video.

ICYMI

Must-read stories you might have missed

Loren Bouchard, creator of the adult animated comedy series “Bob’s Burgers.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

‘Bob’s Burgers’ creator and cast celebrate 300 episodes of their heartfelt and edgy ‘comfort show’: “Bob’s Burgers” creator Loren Bouchard and cast discuss how it achieved “comfort show” status, the Belcher’s family dynamic and their favorite episodes.

This ‘Love Is Blind’ star had Season 9’s most cringey breakup. But he’s OK: Patrick Suzuki, a participant on Netflix’s hit reality dating series, spoke about his connection with two women on the show.

All the movies of Paul Thomas Anderson, ranked from worst to best: The director’s latest, “One Battle After Another,” is now in theaters, but the career of the Valley’s No. 1 filmmaker stretches over three decades. What’s his best?

‘Maigret’ on PBS is the latest version of Simenon’s sleuth. Here are 6 more to watch: PBS’ “Maigret” follows a long line of portrayals of the Parisian fictional detective created by Georges Simenon. Here’s a guide to other great versions to watch.

Tony Shalhoub loves bread, and he thinks it can get you ‘out of your own sphere’: “Breaking Bread,” the actor’s new CNN travel show premiering Sunday, is centered on the food staple, but it also uncovers stories about how it relates to migration, labor and his own family history.

Turn on

Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

Jeff Bridges in John Carpenter’s 1984 movie, “Starman.”

(Sony Pictures)

John Carpenter (Criterion Channel)

An extensive October series on the director who redefined the season of the witch — but one without “Halloween” or “The Thing”? We love it. John Carpenter contains multitudes and it’s high time people began thinking beyond his twin horror landmarks. You could think of these collected movies as being about antiheroes navigating a broken America (“Escape from New York,” “They Live,” “Assault on Precinct 13”). Or maybe they’re cracked romances (the Oscar-nominated “Starman,” “Christine”). Vicious comedies? (“Dark Star” and “Vampires” both have their share of laughs.) One thing they’re decidedly not is boring. And if you let a more metaphysical dimension in (“Prince of Darkness,” “In the Mouth of Madness”), Carpenter suddenly becomes profound. I’m stoked to return to the ones that let me down at first — looking at you, “Memoirs of an Invisible Man” — because I know I’ve grown up since. This is a filmmaker who was always a few steps ahead of me. — Joshua Rothkopf

Chai Hansen, left, Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield in “Play Dirty.”

(Jasin Boland / Prime)

‘Play Dirty’ (Prime Video)

It’s Christmas in New York, and one pack of amoral thieves with little regard for human life are at odds with another pack of amoral thieves also with little regard for human life in this action film based on Parker, the Donald E. Westlake character. The inspiration under another name (Walker) for John Boorman’s “Point Blank” and (in a very roundabout way) Jean-Luc Godard’s “Made in USA,” the character is played here by Mark Wahlberg, with a cast that includes LaKeith Stanfield, Rosa Salazar, Tony Shalhoub, Keegan-Michael Key and Gretchen Mol dignifying the violent fluff. (Shootings, crashes, runaway subway train and the like.) Many things go wrong before they go (sort of) right, heists follow heists, and there’s a high body count, mostly of characters without names, but some with. (You do need to be in the right mood for this.) I am here above all for “Atlanta’s” Stanfield, as Parker’s laconic partner, who brings spacey warmth to the icy goings-on. — Robert Lloyd

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

Glen Powell, left, with Michael Waldron on the set of “Chad Powers.”

(Daniel Delgado Jr./Disney)

How do you attempt to create a show that you hope is the best depiction of college football ever? Well, it helps to be a superfan of the sport, which is precisely what Waldron and Powell are (ESPN’s Tori Petry even spoke to Powell on the sidelines of the Texas vs. Sam Houston game last week). Deep knowledge of college football was essential because Waldron wanted to convey to fans that they were not going to leave any detail untouched. While the school the show is set at, South Georgia, is fictional, the rest of the world on “Chad Powers” is not. “We always wanted real schools to be the teams that they were playing, just to ground our show and the world in authenticity, the real world of college football,” Waldron told The Times this week. “I think that’s what fans want to see.”

But even if you aren’t a superfan of college football or sports in general, Waldron, whose work on television includes creating Marvel’s “Loki” on Disney+ and “Heels” on Starz, a short-lived but critically acclaimed show about pro wrestling, knows that the writing on a TV show is key to getting viewers hooked and wanting more. “Chad Powers” is infused with references to internet personalities and memes, which anyone who is very online will understand and relate to, giving the series an opportunity to spark interest with a more expansive audience. And it works, especially if you are a looking for a comedy that will deliver some easy belly laughs. The Hulu series drops new episodes every Tuesday through Oct. 28, easily filling the time between the next Saturday game. Here, Waldron tells us about how he and Powell first connected, a special cameo on the series and a couple of films you should watch. — Maira Garcia

How did you and Glen Powell first meet and how did it lead to your new show? Are you big followers of sports or football?

Like all legendary Hollywood friendships, ours began on a Zoom general meeting during a pandemic. We hit it off talking about our mutual love of college football (I went to UGA [University of Georgia] and Glen went to [University of] Texas), which is why we were both excited to do a series set in this world.

You were a writer on “Community” and “Rick and Morty,” both shows that have reverberated among millennial viewers because of their self-awareness and/or pop culture references. Did either of those shows inform your approach to “Chad Powers”?

Well, to be clear, I was just the writers’ PA on “Community,” but that show might have been where I learned the most. Dan Harmon is one of the best writers alive and was doing “meta” before we had a word for that. In writing stuff that is “self-aware,” there’s an instinct to be cynical. Dan runs in the opposite direction, and he taught me that genuine earnestness can be a very subversive tool.

A very surprising and funny moment we get right at the start of the show is a cameo from Haliey Welch, aka Hawk Tuah Girl. How did that come about?

We were reshooting the nightclub sequence in Act 1 of the pilot to get more comedy and L.A. scope, and include the character of Russ’ agent. We wanted to populate his world with other people who felt defined by a singular viral moment, and for a show set in 2025, who better than Haliey?

What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?

Have you heard of this movie “One Battle After Another”? It’s pretty damn good.

What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?

I think I watch “Tenet” [VOD] once a month. That’s as cool as a movie can possibly be. Don’t try to understand it. Feel it.