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CELEBRITY SPOTLIGHTS

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Swan song for ‘Downton’

Emmy winner Michelle Dockery returns in “Downton Abbey: The Final Season” Sunday on PBS’ “Masterpiece Classic.”

Featured Stories “SHADES OF BLUE” “AMERICAN IDOL” “ANGEL FROM HELL”

JAY Bobbin's movies to watch

Ravi Patel JOHN RHYS-DAVIES Kate Bosworth Adam Savage Padma Lakshmi

WHAT'S FOR DINNER

Featuring: “Restaurant Startup”

EXCLUSIVE!

Profiled athlete Jameis Winston

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“SHADES OF BLUE”

Jennifer Lopez plays cop again in NBC’s new drama

CELEBRITY 4 Ravi Patel

Ravi Patel beaches it

5 JOHN RHYS-DAVIES

Co-star of MTV’s “The Shannara Chronicles” has “no idea how to get MTV.”

6 Kate Bosworth

Kate loves good material

8 Adam Savage

Savage likes the pressure “AMERICAN IDOL” Ryan Seacrest seeks “the right balance” for the final season

9 Padma Lakshmi

DYK with ‘Top Chef’s’ sexy host “ANGEL FROM HELL” Jane Lynch plays both a blessing and a curse

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FOOD

7 “Restaurant Startup” No passion, no success

SPORTS

18-19 Jameis Winston Rookie Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could have a shot at the NFL Playoffs

the story!

“DOWNTON ABBEY” An elegant era drifts into twilight

REALITY

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16 People’s Choice

Review, Our top DVD pick, and Coming Soon on DVD.

suggested programs to watch this week!

Voters make the People’s Choice again

20-21 Featuring: Theatrical

22-23 Featuring: Our top

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Awards

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STORY

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Crawleys confront more tests as ‘Downton Abbey’ opens last season

By John Crook As the Emmy-winning PBS series “Downton Abbey: The Final Season” premieres Sunday, Jan. 3 (check local listings), a cloud hangs over several of the main characters. There’s a blackmailer threatening Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) with a potential scandal (yes, another one!), while Anna Bates (Joanne Froggatt) withholds a heartbreaking secret from her husband (Brendan Coyle) even as she awaits her legal fate. Not even the happiest event at the close of last season – the betrothal of Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes (Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan) – is a matter for unbridled joy, as Mrs. Hughes nervously wonders whether her fiancé wants and expects “a complete marriage” in all its intimacy.

Moreover, there’s another seismic change looming across England, where more owners of great houses like Downton Abbey are being forced by economics to downsize their household staffs or sell off their estates completely. Thanks to shrewd co-management by Mary and Tom Branson (Allen Leech), Downton itself is momentarily safe, but as Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) confides to a grim-faced Carson, wages at Downton have tripled since their pre-war levels. “Who has an underbutler nowadays?” Robert asks rhetorically.

The year is 1925, and the gracious if socially stratified world these characters have known all their lives is slipping further into the past. Then again, coping with sweeping changes has become part of their DNA, points out “Masterpiece” executive producer Rebecca Eaton.

“Ever since the Titanic went down in Season 1 and then Matthew Crawley, a lawyer, was going to become the next Earl of Grantham, things have been in flux for these

characters,” she says. “And now they’re talking about what we know is coming: a major change in the social fabric of England.”

It was series creator Julian Fellowes who decided to wrap up the series at the end of this nine-episode season, but Eaton says that Fellowes by no means was running out of story material. In fact, he is said to be pondering a “Downton Abbey” film at some point in the future.

“I can’t speak for Julian, but I do think six years was a long time for him to spend writing every word of this entire series,” she says. “That worked out to about 10 and a half hours per season, and it was just really intense.

Certainly, in terms of world events, there’s a huge, rich story still to come, in terms of the 1929 (stock market) crash and the Second World War. I think his decision was more personal. He had said what he had to say.”

Under its previous handle, “Masterpiece Theatre,” the drama showcase had a similar hit in the 1970s with “Upstairs, Downstairs,” but “Downton Abbey” exploded into the pop culture on an unprecedented scale partly because it arrived just as viewers were really starting to change how they watched TV. “The show premiered as technology was giving viewers different options to sitting down together and watching on Sunday nights,” Eaton says. “People could record and watch each episode when they wanted or even stream a complete season all at once.”

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CELEBRITY George Dickie’s Q&A

Ravi

Patel of ‘Grandfathered’ Tuesday on Fox How do you like doing a regular series after years of unsold pilots and cancelations?

How do I like it? I love it. It’s so hard to get there. I mean, I’ve done one or two pilots probably every year since I’ve started acting and ... so that’s like a huge success to be able to say that I’ve done ... pilots every year but it’s been a huge failure at the same time that they’ve never gotten past that stage. Well they have, I think, twice but I’ve never gotten past six episodes.

And if you look at my IMDB, you’ll just see a lot of bad shows on there (laughs). And so it’s been this weird thing where it’s like I’m really grateful to have gotten this work and have such a consistent career but I had definitely grown tired of not being a part of anything that people seem to actually see or had any semblance of success. So it’s really cool.

Your bio lists surfing as a hobby. Do you get to do it much?

Well, I live in Venice (Calif.), so I live a few blocks from the beach but honestly I haven’t surfed in like 10 months. (Laughs) But yeah, the beach is my favorite place. ... The beach is like the one thing about L.A. that really matters. That is my getaway. Also as I’m aging, it’s the only place I can play any sports without breaking something. I’m 36 right now, and I’m having to slowly retire from every sport because my body can’t take it. On the beach, I can dive, I can run, I can do whatever.

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CELEBRITY Jay Bobbin’s Q&A

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John Rhys-Davies of ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ Tuesday on MTV What’s your take on playing the king of a land where several young heroes unite to stop an army of demons?

He has united the four races of people, but the way he has done it has left a lot of anger and hatred. It’s a union that has been imposed by force rather than anything else, and in the end, it comes back to haunt him. Unless they’re very lucky, with anyone who is ambitious, a cost must be paid – and it may not just be paid by them, but by their families.

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After the many years of roles you’ve done, spanning franchises from Indiana Jones to James Bond, how do you view the prospect of becoming an MTV star in “The Shannara Chronicles”?

You realize that I have no idea how to get MTV on my television set! That’s the only caveat about this show that I have. I couldn’t download something if it bit me, but I will say that this is a new venture for them, and I think they’ve thought very wisely about it.

It’s the only show I’ve ever done where I cannot second-guess it anywhere. The casting is perfect, and the kids are beautiful and sexy ... and they’re smart, and good actors.

And it always helps when you have a first-class series of books to draw from, but the scripts are really terrific.

Have you spoken with Terry Brooks, the author of the books, about the television version?

Yes, yes, I have. We generally sit next to each other when we’re doing a press conference about it, and he is very pleased with it. As well he should be.

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CELEBRITY George Dickie’s Q&A

Kate B o s w o rt h of ‘The Art of More’ on Crackle and ‘Still Alice’ Wednesday on Starz Was there a big learning curve for you in getting into your character of New York art auction house account executive Roxanna Whitman on Crackle’s “The Art of More”?

I am very lucky to be married to someone who went to Cal Arts, an arts program. So I mean, Michael (Polish) is a director but you can go for film at Cal Arts. He went as an arts student so he has one of the most extensive educations on everything anybody could ask for. So anytime that there’s a question, I call him – or even if it’s a suggestion – “If I wanted to say something about Van Gogh here ...” “If I wanted to reference something, is that what you’d say?” You know, “he paints something straight from the tube. Like, he’d just take it straight from the tube.” He just knows things that really helps inform my character. So that’s really helpful for me (laughs).

What drew you to do a streaming series?

I think it’s just you want to follow good material. Truly for me, it’s like whether it’s a film or a show or a short film or anything more experimental, I’m always fascinated by the people that are around it. Are they smart? Are they pushing for something to be great? And like when I met with (executive producers) Chuck (Rose) and Gardner (Stern) and Tammy (Chestna), I just thought this is a group of people that really want to make something great and that’s the type of thing I want to be a part of.

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FOOD George Dickie’s What's for Dinner

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Vegas

restaurateur invests in third season of ‘Restaurant Startup’ In Season 3 of CNBC’s “Restaurant Startup,” which opens Wednesday, Jan. 6, viewers will notice a new investor at the deal table.

She’s Elizabeth Blau, the founder and CEO of the restaurant development company Blau & Associates, who has opened eateries all over Las Vegas and is considered to be one of the driving forces behind the city’s flourishing culinary scene. She joins returning investors Joe Bastianich and Tim Love and culinary consultant Antonia Lofaso as 18 culinary teams vie to secure seed money for their prospective eateries.

But first they have to get through the pitch, and there are certain things that Blau looks for.

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Elizabeth Blau

“I think it’s really just the passion and the story and kind of the authenticity of the concept,” she says. “And what I try and do is not only understand what the concept is but get a feeling personally about these chefs or aspiring restaurateurs because if I’m going to be in business with them, it’s not just a great idea ... it has to be good food and a clever concept.

But I think I really look at the people as well and in a short period of time try and get to know them.”

And if the business plan isn’t up to snuff or they can’t adequately articulate their concept, Blau has her own approach in delivering the bad news.

“I think that the fact that I’m a woman and that I’m a mother, I’ve got that kind of sensitivity chip of trying to let people down easily ...,” she says. “These are multi-million dollar businesses, big or small and so there’s a lot on the line. You know, there’s the investors’ money. There’s people’s jobs and people who work for you and their families and so you’ve got to be honest and direct, and I think that I’m maybe a little more diplomatic than some. So I try and do it with a smile and gently, but you know, there’s no margin for error.

“If you decide to be in the restaurant business, you are embarking on one of the toughest industries out there,” she continues, “so you can’t be too kind and you’ve got to be direct.”

What book are you currently reading?

“I am reading a cookbook, ‘Marc Forgione: Recipes and Stories From the Acclaimed Chef.’ ”

What did you have for dinner last night?

“Sunday night is our night for ordering out, so we had Indian food last night.”

What is your next project?

“We are doing two hotels and a casino and five restaurants in Vancouver, Canada. It’s called The Parq and we are overseeing all of the food and beverage for the project.”

When was the last vacation you took, where and why?

“I think it was Cape Cod this summer.

We were in Brewster. ... We rent a house every summer and it’s our time to relax, and it’s going to sound strange but it’s our time to cook at home. And so we always rent a place with a great kitchen and we’ve got friends who have lobster pots and my husband goes fishing and there’s blueberry farms and it’s just our total down time.”

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CELEBRITY George Dickie’s Celebrity ScooP

Adam

Savage

Pressure – it’s something under which you either thrive or fold.

Adam Savage of Discovery Channel’s “MythBusters,” which begins its 14th and final season Saturday, Jan. 9, learned he fell into the former category early in his relationship with co-host Jamie Hyneman.

It was the early ‘90s and Hyneman had just hired Savage for his own San Francisco special effects company to work on commercials. It turned out to be a trial by fire.

“Commercial special effects is very different from film special effects,” Savage explains. “In film special effects, everyone is specialized. You’ve got your mould makers, you’ve got your painters, you’ve got your builders, you’ve got your riggers. And you’ve got time in film; you’ve got seven months, 10 months, a year.

“In commercial special effects,” he continues, “you’ve got six hours, you’ve got two people and they’ve got to make a waterfall work for a director who’s screaming. It is no time, no money, no materials or resources; you’ve just got to get it done and it is an amazing training ground. And you either fall in love with it or you run screaming from it.

There is no middle ground. And I immediately fell in love with the tension and pressure.”

And thus a career was born.

“It’s funny,” Savage says. “I’ve spent a fair bit of time studying pool hustlers because I played seriously for a while, and one of the things that typifies a real hustler is it doesn’t matter what the sport is, they just happen to get cool when the stakes are high. ... A hustler is a hustler and the game doesn’t matter. And in a similar way, I think the people who do well in film are the people who like the pressure and are cool under pressure.”

“So for me, that’s where I found a challenge I found satisfying.”

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Full name: Adam Whitney Savage Birth date: July 15, 1967 Birthplace: New York City Current residence: San Francisco Education: New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Family: Married wife Julia in 2002; has twin sons from a previous relationship Special effects work: “Jack” (1996), “Flubber” (1997), “Home Alone 3” (1997), “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” (1999), “Bicentennial Man” (1999), “Galaxy Quest” (1999), “Space Cowboys” (2000), “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” (2001), “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” (2002), “The Matrix: Reloaded” (2003), “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” (2003), “The Matrix Revolutions” (2003) Other employment: projectionist, animator, graphic designer, carpenter, interior and stage designer, toy designer, welder, scenic painter, model maker

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CELEBRITY CelebritY profile

Padm aLakshmi

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- Padma Parvati Lakshmi was born on Sept. 1, 1970, in Chennai, India. Her parents divorced when she was 2 and Lakshmi was raised in the United States with her mother.

- She attended Clark University in Massachusetts, starting as a psychology major before graduating in 1992 with a bachelor’s in theater.

- While studying abroad in Spain, she was spotted by a modeling scout in a Madrid bar. She soon began traveling the world as a model for designers like Armani, Versace and Ralph Lauren.

- Modeling led to offers of acting jobs, and she began appearing in television shows filmed in Hollywood, Bollywood and Europe.

- In 2000, she published a cookbook entitled “Easy Exotic,” a collection of low-calorie recipes incorporating the flavors of Southeast Asia.

Padma Lakshmi is a former model, author, cooking expert and TV personality who can be seen hosting the cooking competition “Top Chef” on Bravo.

- After she released her first cookbook, the Food Network came calling and there, she hosted “Padma’s Passport” before jumping over to Bravo as the face of “Top Chef.”

- She was married to author Salman Rushdie, they were together for several years before divorcing in 2007.

- She created her own line of Indian-inspired jewelry, as well as a line of spices, teas and bakeware.

- A strong supporter of Keep a Child Alive since 2008, she visited the KCA programs in India, shining a light on the great work being done there. She is now a Global Ambassador for the organization.

- She also partnered with Dr. Tamer Seckin to found the Endometriosis Foundation of America. Opening up about her own harrowing journey with the little-known disease,

she has brought hope to millions of women suffering in silence and made enormous strides in spreading awareness and garnering funding for research and teen health education.

- She has been recognized by the New York State senate for her efforts in women’s health and also helped to launch the first research center in the US for gynopathology at MIT. - In February 2010, her daughter Krishna was born.

- In addition to her previous cookbooks, she has written a memoir to be published by Ecco titled “Love, Loss, and What We Ate.” It will chronicle her “unlikely path from an immigrant childhood to a complicated life in front of the camera.” It’s slated for a March 8 release.

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CELEBRITY

“Through this simple act of compassion, taking this distress call, he sets off a whole chain of events. All the dominoes start to fall. And this incredible amount of responsibility ends up coming to him, and he can’t run from it anymore … so he ends up finding himself and owning his destiny.”

– Steven Strait, of “The Expanse” on Syfy, about his spaceship-captain character

“All you can do is kind of play to what’s thrown at you. It’s like drinking out of a fire hose, whereas it’s so lovely to have something like this where you go, ‘OK I know where I start. I know where I end. And everything that I craft, that led me to that point, is mine … and how I get there is mine.’ “ – Mike Vogel, of the recent “Childhood’s End” on Syfy, about acting in a limited-run miniseries as opposed to a weekly show such as CBS’ recent “Under the Dome” Page 10 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote January 3 - 9, 2016

“I think the highlight is just the person I’m becoming every day. I mean, the highlight (is helping with) so many different causes, being able to represent your country on an international level. I think that is priceless and only 63 women have done that. … I was not Paulina, I was Colombia all over the world, so now I’m a different person in my country and my life has changed forever.” – Paulina Vega, recently of The 64th Annual Miss Universe Pageant on Fox, on her just-concluded reign as Miss Universe

CELEBRITY

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ON DVRs Ernie Sabella, recently of “The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar” on Disney Channel “I do like ‘Blue Bloods,’ which I just did an episode of.

It’s nice to be on a show that you actually watch! And I’m doing ‘The Good Wife’ again, and I watch that.”

Eden Sher of “The Middle” on ABC “ ‘Rick and Morty’ is always on there.

I have this thing. My friends have brought it to my attention that I don’t have the attention span. I watch so few serialized dramas. Like the last one I really finished out was ‘Breaking Bad.’ ... I’ve been watching a lot of ‘The Simpsons.’ ... ‘Review’ on Comedy Central with Andy Daly.

Oh my God. The new season of ‘Nathan for You’ just started.”

Briana Evigan, recently of “Once Upon a Holiday” on Hallmark Channel “I’m watching ‘The Affair,’ ‘The Leftovers,’ ‘Homeland,’ ‘Nashville’ and ‘Modern Family.’ Most of my shows are on Sundays.”

Miss USA 2015 Olivia Jordan, recently of The 64th Annual Miss Universe Pageant on Fox “I am obsessed with ‘Friends,’ as I said earlier. I watch it all the time. It’s just always on in my room, even as I’m getting ready for the day. And then I watch ‘Scandal’; I’m a big fan. I’m all caught up, unfortunately – it’s like the downside of Netflix is you get caught up and then you have nothing to look forward to. So I just got into ‘How to Get Away With Murder.’ I just started that season and I’m thoroughly entertained. But I love ‘Girls’ and ‘Orange Is the New Black.’ ”

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STORY

J. Lo

has new ‘Shades’ Jennifer Lopez stars in the drama series “Shades of Blue,” premiering Thursday on NBC.

Story on next page

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STORY

Pictured: Ray Liotta and Jennifer Lopez

By Jay Bobbin Jennifer Lopez and television certainly won’t be strangers as 2016 starts.

So was the production team assembled for “Shades of Blue,” which includes Lopez’s “Idol” comrade Ryan Seacrest and Oscar winner Barry Levinson (“Rain Man”), who directed the series opener. “When we got in a room together and had similar instincts about things, I was so excited,” Lopez says of Levinson. “We really tried to get it down to what the essence of the series was, so we were never off-track for one moment. It’s an honor for me to work with Barry. We have a great chemistry, and I think it shows.”

The hugely popular singer-actress returns to judge the final season of “American Idol” starting Wednesday, Jan. 6, but she’s also tackling her first dramatic series as the star. Premiering Thursday, Jan. 7, NBC’s “Shades of Blue” – on which she’s also an executive producer – casts her as Harlee Santos, a single mother and Brooklyn police detective torn by her new role as an FBI informant on her colleagues, including her unit’s maverick lieutenant (Ray Liotta).

Scheduling has been tricky for Lopez in balancing her “Shades” and “Idol” duties, since the talent competition starts taping the audition episodes months before they air. She says the shows’ staffs agreed “to work together, and they did, but it was still the most taxing on me. But we’ve made it through. (2015) was just a year where all these amazing opportunities came my way (also including hosting ABC’s American Music Awards), and as a performer and an actress, it was hard to say ‘No.’ It’s what I’ve worked my whole life for.”

Initially, Lopez only was going to produce “Shades of Blue,” and the former “In Living Color” Fly Girl admits “coming back to series work was a big decision for me. I knew how taxing it was, physically and emotionally, and just with the hours ... and being the lead in a show and being in almost every scene, how intense that can be. But the material was so strong, and this character was so compelling, it was hard to turn down.

“It’s very difficult at times to play,” adds Lopez, “because she is living a double life, even a triple or quadruple life sometimes, with her daughter and her work and the FBI. There’s just so much that she’s juggling, wanting to keep everything afloat and make it all right in every way. It’s really exciting. And scary.”

Lopez believes her roles in such movies as “Money Train,” “Out of Sight” and “Angel Eyes” helped prepare her for “Shades of Blue.” She reflects, ”There’s something that I understand about (law enforcement) in a way. Maybe it’s the tough-with-a-soft-heart Bronxville thing, but there’s something in it that I connect to. And there’s something about the humanity of these characters; they’re good people, and I think that’s what the series is about. It’s not something I planned on (acting in), but it was enticing.”

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An upcoming concert residency at Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood also is keeping recent American Music Awards host Lopez active, as is another series, though she doesn’t appear in it. She’s an executive producer of ABC Family’s “The Fosters,” which resumes Season 3 episodes Jan. 25 after the network changes its name to Freeform.

That show already has a Season 4 renewal, and Lopez calls it “one of the things I’m most proud of, when you do a project and it turns out the way you’d hoped. It pushes the envelope, it educates in a way, and it makes you think and rethink. It came from the right place, and it’s what TV should be.”

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STORY

Ryan Seacrest hosts the final season of “American Idol,” starting Wednesday on Fox. Story on next page

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STORY

Ryan Seacrest

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guides the final search for an ‘American Idol’

By Jay Bobbin

It’s time to start the search for the last “American Idol.”

The Fox talent competition that has launched such stars as Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Chris Daughtry, Jordin Sparks, Scotty McCreery, Fantasia Barrino and Phillip Phillips begins its 15th and final round with a two-part premiere Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 6 and 7.

Expect many alumni – also including Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson – to return during the concluding season, but it also will be business as usual for host Ryan Seacrest and judges Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban as they ultimately whittle an initial field of thousands down to the one contestant who will be the show’s valedictory winner.

“I think the pragmatic part of me realized that at some point, that word (of ending the show) would come,” Seacrest says, “but I think the passionate part of me never really wanted to have that conversation, because I love the show so much. And it has meant so much to me personally and professionally.”

The closing-season plan for “Idol” is “something that we talked about quite a bit between the executive producers, including (series creator) Simon Fuller, and myself. What is the right balance to strike, that celebrates what ‘Idol’ has been for the fans and what it did for some of the contestants, but that also highlights the competition that remains still to be? Having that balance correct was the hard part for us, because none of us knew what that mix should be ... but I think we’ve come up with a good formula.”

While Denver, Philadelphia and San Francisco were among the major locations of the final-season “American Idol” auditions, a two-week bus tour also took the show’s

team to cities including Seattle, Tucson (Arizona), Tulsa (Oklahoma) and Baltimore. “I think the difference really comes from the contestants this time,” Seacrest reflects.

“Every one of them I had the chance to speak with talked to me about how they realized what a big platform and opportunity this was, and how it could be the last time for them to get to audition for it.

“I think that drew some people out who might have procrastinated,” adds Seacrest, ”so there was a determination and a pursuit that I found to be a little more tenacious and possibly a little more aggressive from some of the contestants, because they knew this could be ‘it.’ “ When “American Idol” began in 2002, NBC’s “The Voice” didn’t exist. That series has given “Idol” another form of competition when both are in season, and past programs such as USA’s “Nashville Star” and ABC’s “Rising Star” and “Duets” also owe a certain debt to the Fox show. However “The Voice” fares when it resumes at the end of February, Seacrest – now a multimedia mogul as a radio personality, a television-event host and a producer (E!’s “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” Lopez’s and NBC’s new “Shades of Blue”) – knows how he wants to see “Idol” go out.

“In terms of legacy when you look at ‘American Idol,’ there are so many great stories throughout,” he notes, “but there also are going to be two bookends: the first (season) and the last (season). And we need the last to represent the legacy that we want to create.”

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STORY

Mark Burnett remains a survivor in staging the People’s Choice Awards

By Jay Bobbin To stage the People’s Choice Awards, it helps to have a producer who knows something about pleasing people … and Mark Burnett surely is that.

The man behind CBS’ “Survivor,” ABC’s “Shark Tank” and NBC’s “The Voice” – and, with wife Roma Downey, such spiritually themed dramas as “The Bible” and “The Dovekeepers” – is back for his seventh consecutive round of producing the ceremony that reveals the public’s favorites in movies, television, music and more. CBS airs the 42nd annual edition Wednesday, Jan. 6, from Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theatre with three-time Emmy winner Jane Lynch (whose CBS sitcom “Angel From Hell” debuts the next night) as host, and Jason Derulo and nominee Shawn Mendes as musical guests.

“It’s great fun,” Burnett says of continuing to oversee the event. “I was first introduced to it when ‘Survivor’ was nominated and won a People’s Choice Award. I really respected the fact that it was the fans who gave out the awards by their voting. There are a lot of other award shows out there, and they’re all great, but many are from academies and guilds. It’s really nice to have an award show on primetime network TV that actually respects what’s consumed.”

Adding that he aims to “keep it fresh every year,” Burnett knows part of that comes from having different hosts who have included “Mom” stars Anna Faris and Allison Janney, and “2 Broke Girls” regulars Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs.

He’s pleased to have Lynch (who also presides over NBC’s “Hollywood Game Night”) on board this time, having also produced the Emmy Awards when she hosted those in 2011.

“We had a great experience together,” Burnett recalls, “so I was delighted when she accepted hosting People’s Choice this year. She’s a triple threat: She can sing, dance and act.

And she’s a great, funny comedian, which really helps in hosting.

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“One of the other things we’ve done in terms of freshness is that we’ve left the voting in a couple of categories open – favorite new TV comedy and favorite new TV drama – so there will be voting on those through that night (at www. peopleschoice.com). We’ve also added some new categories built around social media, and it’s been helpful for us to acknowledge how important it is. Even though we’re in TV, you have to recognize that people are consuming content in many different ways, and you need to go to the fans where they are.”

Burnett embraces that even more now that he and Downey are studio moguls, having re-energized United Artists. “In (that company’s) heyday, things like ‘The Voice’ and ‘Shark Tank’ and ‘Survivor’ didn’t exist,” he notes. “Again, we’re being very current and evolving the brand to meet the audience where it is. We’re also working on scripted stuff, and we have (a movie remake of) ‘Ben-Hur’ coming out with Paramount in August.”

Also with such ventures as ABC’s ”500 Questions” (which is getting a second season), Fox’s revival of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” and a new edition of NBC’s “The Apprentice” that will feature Arnold Schwarzenegger, Burnett remains one of television’s top suppliers of product … and there’s more to come from him.

“It’s a matter of relying on the teams I assemble,” he maintains. “We have nine network series, then we’re producing a series with Intel that will be both linear and digital, looking for the greatest in new tech.”

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STORY

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By Jay Bobbin As 2016 begins, it appears to be the television year of Jane Lynch.

Not that 2015 wasn’t: Last March, the actress wrapped up her Emmy-winning portrayal of Sue Sylvester on Fox’s ‘”Glee“; and in the summer, she returned as host of NBC’s “Hollywood Game Night,” then won another Emmy for it.

As the latter show begins anew Tuesday, Jan. 5 – and as she also hosts the People’s Choice Awards for CBS on Wednesday, Jan. 6 – Lynch is getting back into scripted series, too. Slightly delayed from a planned November debut, a new sitcom and role are suited perfectly to her caustic wit.

Premiering Thursday, Jan. 7, CBS’ “Angel From Hell” casts her as Amy, an often bawdy stranger who suddenly appears on a mission to improve the life of understandably skeptical doctor Allison (former “Psych” co-star Maggie Lawson). In the opener, Amy manages to save Allison from a relationship disaster ... but is she truly an angel, or merely someone with delusions of being one? Presumably, time will tell, and so will the show that also casts Kevin Pollak as Allison’s father and Kyle Bornheimer as her brother.

“I read it and I laughed out loud and I loved it.” Lynch says.

“I called my agent and said, ‘Let’s get the ball rolling and see if we can’t nail this thing for me.’ So, yeah, I thought the writing was great. I love the relationships.”

Plus, Lynch adds, “I love who Amy is. I love what a mess she is, that she absolutely has no shame around any of her alcoholism or the fact that she lives in her car, that she’s just kind of who she is ... but the stakes for her are

that she wants to remain an angel, and this is kind of her last chance because she’s really screwed it up before.”

While Lynch also has been touring with her “See Jane Sing” cabaret show (often featuring “The Office” alum Kate Flannery, and slated for Florida and Arizona dates later in January), “Angel From Hell” is a new chapter she embraces partially because of the personal significance its theme holds for her.

“I feel very settled in my person,” she reflects, “and I don’t know that it’s because all of this (professional) stuff has happened ... but that’s why I’m really glad to be doing this show, because it kind of lines up with where I am, which is just to be in the present moment and love each other. Seriously, that’s all it’s about. For me, life is all that. And that’s what it is for Amy, too, and I think that’s the message of this show.”

Click or tap on icon for more!

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SPORTS

Bucs’ Jameis Winston is a rookie on a roll Story on next page Full Name: Jameis L. Winston Born: Jan. 6, 1994 Birthplace: Bessemer, Ala. Height/Weight: 6 foot, 4 inches/231-pounds Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

No.: 3 College: Florida State Drafted: No. 1 pick overall by Tampa Bay Honors and Achievements: NFL offensive rookie of the month, Nov. 2015; Heisman Trophy, 2013; BCS National Championship, 2013-14 season.

Position: Quarterback Page 18 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote January 3 - 9, 2016

SPORTS

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By Dan Ladd Jameis Winston became a household name in 2013 on his way to winning college football’s final BCS Championship and also the Heisman Trophy. The former Florida State Seminole didn’t have to travel far for his professional career as he was selected first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Winston and the Bucs visit Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers Sunday, Jan. 3, on Fox in the final regular season game, which could possibly have playoff implications.

Three-quarters of the way through his rookie season Winston had the Bucs at .500 with a 6-6 record, which could’ve easily been a winning one had Kirk Cousins not orchestrated a brilliant comeback for the Washington Redskins against Tampa Bay in Week 7.

Winston, an NFL Rookie of the year candidate, has matured nicely in head coach Lovie Smith’s system. Running back Doug Martin is also having a solid season, taking the pressure off the young quarterback. Still, Winston has risen to the occasion a number of times, including a Week 13 late-game comeback of his own that allowed his team to sweep the Atlanta Falcons this season.

JameisWinston

That left folks in Tampa thinking playoffs and although the Bucs will need some help to get there, things just might go their way. A big factor could be their opponent this week as Carolina, off to one of the best starts in NFL history, could have homefield advantage wrapped up and be resting starters, setting up a prime opportunity for Tampa Bay. January 3 - 9, 2016 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 19

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MOVIES JAY BOBBIN's Theatrical movie review review

‘Chi-Raq’

brings Spike Lee back to a full boil

If it seems Spike Lee has been pretty quiet in recent times, “Chi-Raq” definitely ends that phase.

Often incendiary in his early days of “Do the Right Thing” and “Jungle Fever,” the filmmaker finds his fury again with his new drama that paints Chicago as an almost too dangerous place for some people to be these days ... thus the film’s title, though the thematic basis for the movie really is the classic Aristophenes play “Lysistrata.”

As with the soldiers in that work, the gang members in the update face losing the personal services – as it were – of the women in their lives unless they stop their warring ways. Teyonah Parris (“Mad Men”) plays the Lysistrata of this piece, whose man (portrayed by Nick Cannon, a whole lot grittier here than his television persona has indicated lately) is the Chi-raq of the title.

Jennifer Hudson, Wesley Snipes, Angela Bassett, John Cusack (who’s given a very showy scene as a clergyman) and Dave Chappelle also turn up, but arguably the most notable among the other players is Samuel L. Jackson, serving as a sort of one-man Greek

chorus (clearly, but effectively, a nod to the source material) who comments on the events ... and he does it in verse, as do all the other actors.

One thing about Spike Lee’s “joints,” as he calls his films, is that you can bank on them not being like anything else in the movie marketplace whenever they’re released, and no matter the relative strength of each of his pictures. It’s sort of obvious to say that no other writer-director (he’s actually a co-writer this time) could have his vision or sensibility, but that makes even a Lee movie that misses the mark unique.

There’s no such problem with “Chi-Raq,” though. It’s bold filmmaking that may hit too close to home for some viewers, given the very current issues it deals with. But Spike Lee is never better than when he’s at his most bold, and the very fact that “Chi-Raq” is so troubling is what proves Lee still can work at his top level.

And it particularly stands out at a time of year when “cozy” and “familiar” are the general bywords at the movies. The lesson of “Chi-Raq” is that as long as he’s still around, never count Spike Lee out.

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MOVIES JAY BOBBIN's movie review movies to watch

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“SICARIO” Star Emily Blunt and director Denis Villeneuve (“Prisoners”) promise to be strong factors in this film-award season for their work on this intense melodrama, casting Blunt as an FBI agent trying to dismantle a drug cartel along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ultimately, she’s not sure who to trust, including the supposed ally played by Benicio Del Toro (who walked very similar ground with his Oscar-winning role in “Traffic”). Josh Brolin, Victor Garber, Jon Bernthal (“The Walking Dead”) and Jeffrey Donovan (“Burn Notice”) also stars, and the striking cinematography is by Roger Deakins (“Skyfall”). DVD extras: four “making-of” documentaries. ››› (R: AS, P, GV) (Also on Bluray and On Demand)

Top Pick

DVD

Pictured: Emily Blunt

upcoming DVD releases

Coming Soon on DVD...

“Hotel Transylvania 2”

“HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2” (Jan. 12): Dracula (voice of Adam Sandler) tries to appeal to the more monstrous side of his halfhuman grandson in this animated sequel. (PG: AS)

“JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS” (Jan. 19): A young woman (Aubrey Peeples) becomes a superstar in this live-action update of the animated show based on the doll line. (PG: AS, P)

“THE MARTIAN” (Jan. 12): Presumed dead and left behind by his crew, an astronaut (Matt Damon) struggles to survive on Mars. (PG-13: AS, N, P)

“STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON” (Jan. 19): The formation and survival of the controversial hiphop group N.W.A. is dramatized; stars include Aldis Hodge and Paul Giamatti. (R and unrated versions: AS, N, P, V)

“EVEREST” (Jan. 19): Climbers on the legendary and potentially lethal mountain end up in the midst “BURNT” (Jan. 26): A troubled of a storm; Jason Clarke stars. chef (Bradley Cooper) tries to (PG-13: P, V) redeem himself and return to the heights of his profession in London. (R: AS, P)

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FAVORITE SHOWS

Jane Lynch hosts “Hollywood Game Night”

Harry Connick Jr. in “American Idol”

SUNDAY 8:30 p.m. on FOX Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life The post-collegiate world isn’t what the title character (Jack CutmoreScott, “Kingsman: The Secret Service”) anticipated in “How to Survive Your Loveable Jackass,” this comedy’s premiere. Still seeking the perfect job for himself, he’s interested in his neighbor (Meaghan Rath) and often sought out by his family-man brother (Justin Bartha). Cooper’s roommates (Charlie Saxton, James Earl) also inspire him to offer life lessons from his own perspective. Series Premiere New

Ben Higgins of “The Cutline Bachelor”

Jack Cutmore-Scott stars in “Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life”

MONDAY 8 p.m. on ABC The Bachelor Another search for love gets under way as the series’ 20th season begins, with Ben Higgins — who wasn’t chosen by last year’s “Bachelorette,” Kaitlyn Bristowe — in the driver’s seat as he meets 28 women all eager to become his one and only. That should be especially interesting where this round’s identical twins are concerned.

“Bachelor” veterans Sean Lowe, Chris Soules and Jason Mesnick give Higgins some tips. Of course, Chris Harrison is back as host. Season Premiere New

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TUESDAY 8 p.m. on NBC Hollywood Game Night The first week of 2016 also can be deemed the television week of Jane Lynch: Not only does she host the People’s Choice Awards and star in the premiere of the sitcom “Angel From Hell,” she’s also back for Season 4 of this game show that has earned her two Emmys. In “Hannigan, Hale & Hunt ... Oh My!,” Alyson Hannigan, Tony Hale (“Veep”) and Emmy and Oscar winner Helen Hunt are among the celebrities teamed with “everyday citizens” to try to win up to $25,000.

Season Premiere New continued on next page

FAVORITE SHOWS WEDNESDAY 8 p.m. on FOX American Idol It’s the beginning of the end for the competition that brought initial fame to such talents as Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson. This 15th round also is the final one, as host Ryan Seacrest and judges Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban launch one last “search for a superstar.” As usual, it begins with the sometimes comical, sometimes poignant audition episodes.

The two-part season premiere concludes Thursday. Season Premiere New THURSDAY 8 p.m. on ABC My Diet Is Better Than Yours Who will the biggest losers — in weight-loss terms, that is — be in this case? The premiere of this series puts spins on a somewhat familiar theme, as celebrity trainers work with everyday people using specifically tailored dietand-exercise plans. As the title suggests, the aim of each trainer is to have the most effective of all the formulas, with one of the teams ultimately being declared victorious.

Shaun T (“Insanity”) is the host.

Series Premiere New 8 p.m. on LIFETIME Child Genius: Battle of the Brightest Former NASA astronaut Leland Melvin returns to host as this new competition opens its second season, featuring some of the most gifted young students from across the United States. Over 10 weeks, these junior scholars are tested on subjects ranging from math, spelling and geography to current events.

The student who emerges as top of the class in the season finale will take home a $100,000 college fund, as well as bragging rights as Child Genius 2016. Season Premiere New

FRIDAY 9 p.m. on CBS Hawaii Five-0 If counseling can work for couples experiencing romantic strife, why not for police partners who also are having issues? McGarrett and Danny (Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan) give it a try in the new episode “Kuleana” (Hawaiian for “One’s Personal Sense of Responsibility”) by going to a couples retreat, which may not have the typical effect. Kamekona (Taylor Wily) is haunted by his past, rather literally.

Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park also star. New

Grace Park stars in “Hawaii Five-0”

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SATURDAY 9 p.m. on CBS Criminal Minds A release of sarin gas aboard a Los Angeles bus alarms many people, including Rossi (Joe Mantegna) and his team, in “The Witness.” The race is on to find the perpetrator, since it’s feared a more widespread attack may be in the offing. Marisol Nichols and Tim Kang (“The Mentalist”) guest star. Thomas Gibson, Shemar Moore, Matthew Gray Gubler, Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook and Aisha Tyler also star.

Joe Mantegna stars in “Criminal Minds”

Shaun T hosts “My Diet Is Better Than Yours

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