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2 • December 2 - 8, 2018 • Brainerd Dispatch By Francis Babin TV Media L il Rel Howery ("Get Out," 2017) continues the time-honored tradi- tion of standup comedians portray- ing a character loosely based on their own past experiences, in a new epi- sode of "Rel," airing Sunday, Dec. 2, on Fox. Howery looks to replicate the suc- cess of comedy legends such as Tim Allen ("Home Improvement"), Ray Romano ("Everybody Loves Ray- mond"), Bernie Mac ("The Bernie Mac Show"), Ellen DeGeneres ("El- len") and Jerry Seinfeld ("Seinfeld"), who all struck gold when they took their act to the small screen. "Rel" centers around the titular character. He's a nurse living and working on Chicago's West Side, and he's forced to rebuild his life after he discovers his wife is having an affair with his barber. Adding insult to inju- ry, Rel must also learn to be a long- distance single father, as his wife takes their two children to Cleveland with her when she leaves. Dealing with the implosion of his marriage and the loss of his wife, children and barber, Rel's motto — "always believe in yourself and great things will come" — is put to the test. The laughingstock of his neigh- borhood, he finds that even some- thing as simple as riding the bus is now an unpleasant experience, as the local guys roast him relentlessly. It is impossible to escape the remind- ers of his wife's indiscretions. Not everyone in the neighbor- hood is so mean-spirited, however. Rel's friends and family do their best to help him get back on track — and back on the dating scene. There to guide him through the Windy City's dating pool are his younger brother, Nat (Jordan L. Jones, "Disjointed"), and his best friend, Brittany (Jessica 'Jess Hilarious' Moore, "Wild 'n Out"). Nat, recently released from prison, means well and is occasional- ly helpful but is mostly a thorn in his brother's side. On the flip side, Brit- tany is all help with her unfiltered opin- ions and views and does the best she can to get her bestie out of his rut, convince him to stop sulk- ing and move on. Twenty-five years after "The Sin- bad Show" debuted on Fox, the leg- endary Sinbad himself returns to the network, this time in a supporting role. He plays Milton, Rel and Nat's father, a recently widowed, prideful- but-well-meaning man who believes his sons are utter disappointments. In his scene-stealing appearances, Milton constantly reminds his boys about how they have failed to live up to his expectations, but he also helps them in his own special way. Over the course of the past few years, Sinbad has worked mostly as a voice ac- tor and has focused his at- tention more and more on his passion for music. But now he's back in a major way. To a younger audience, the influential comedian is now primarily known as Arnold Schwarzenegger's antagonist in the Christmas classic "Jingle All the Way" (1996), and as an example of the Mandela Effect (when a large group of people believe in the same false memory). In this case, many be- lieve that the comedian starred in a 1990s movie called "Shazaam," con- fusing the non-existent movie with Shaqille O'Neal's 1996 "Kazaam." Sinbad may not have starred in that dreamt-up film, but he certainly has a place in the hearts of many. Now he's back and better than ever, and it's easy to see how he's influ- enced numerous comedy superstars over the years. Over the past decade, Howery has been making quite the name for himself, much like his television fa- ther before him. After making his small-screen debut in NBC's "Last Comic Standing," he went on to star in the short-lived revival of the sketch comedy series "In Living Col- or," as well as "Friends of the Peo- ple," another sketch comedy series. However, Howery's big break came when he was cast as Bobby Carmichael, Jerrod Carmichael's brother, in "The Carmichael Show." His scene-stealing performance in Jordan Peele's Academy Award-win- ning "Get Out" (2017) further ce- mented his reputation as a comedic tour de force. Much like "The Carmichael Show," "Rel" tackles real-world is- sues, albeit in a much less straight- forward way. For instance, in an epi- sode from earlier this season, Rel deals with a local gang that has tak- en over his laundromat. This gang takeover is a perfect example of what Howery talked about at Fox's annual Summer TCA party in Holly- wood. The funnyman told the audi- ence how he wanted to keep the conversation honest without the se- ries becoming too preachy. He con- tinued by saying that his character, and the political and social issues brought forth in his stories, come from a very personal place. Over the course of the series, Brit- tany has been an invaluable friend and has tried hard to help Rel over- come his issues. But now it's his turn to help. When Brittany's estranged mom shows up unexpectedly, it's up to Rel to convince his friend to give her another shot. Find out how things turn out in a new episode of "Rel," airing Sunday, Dec. 2, on Fox. Back in the game Lil Rel Howery tries to move on in 'Rel' Cover Story this week Lil Rel Howery stars in "Rel" The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon Tomorrow is election day, which means right now, thousands of Russians are scrambling to get their last- minute hacking done. Jimmy Kimmel Live It is important that you vote, and that you bully your friends and family into voting. There's a lot at stake tomorrow. And for President Trump, that steak is well done and slathered in ketchup. Trump said the midterms used to be boring but now they're like "the hottest thing." Like he's running a nightclub or something. Late Night With Seth Meyers A man in Georgia was arrested over the weekend after he tried to rob a McDonald's and accidentally shot himself in the thigh. He's lucky — he came this close to hitting his McNuggets. People magazine has named actor Idris Elba as its 33rd annual Sexiest Man Alive. And I'm happy to announce that I was voted "also alive." Weekend Update With Colin Jost and Michael Che Well, the midterm elections were on Tuesday, and like a scorned wife after a bitter divorce, the Democrats took back the house. Late Laughs 501 W Washington St., Brainerd, MN 218-828-1823 • heartlandtireservice.com 001803186r1 SAVE $75 OFF REGULAR PRICE $174.95 REG $249.95 • GDI FUEL SYSTEM SERVICE Did you know that your brand-new fuel- efficient vehicle may be in need of a basic service other than an oil change? 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