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TV Media Weekly | June 15 - 21, 2019 By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: They're making a "Game of Thrones" sequel series, right? What can you tell me about it? A: Yes, and I can tell you quite a lot, fortunately. It's not that HBO is suddenly being generous with details after years of being stingy. But given that the "Game of Thrones" pre- quel show (or shows, perhaps) will take place in a fantasy uni- verse that's already been built in the original, small details say a lot. For example, I can tell you for a fact that it will take place "thou- sands of years" before the origi- nal show, meaning it will tell some of the stories that exist as half-remembered legends in the original series. The biggest one of those — and this comes from HBO's official synopsis, rather than the mounds of internet speculation that can be found elsewhere — is that the untitled prequel will unveil "the true origin of the White Walkers." They, of course, were a key enemy in "Game of Thrones," treated like a force of nature rather than char- acters with a past. This prequel se- ries may change that view a little. Q: I'm really enjoying that Netflix show "Dead to Me," particularly the actress who plays Judy. Can you tell me what else she's done? A: I can barely scratch the surface. We have been fortunate to watch Linda Cardellini grow up before our eyes, but that means she has an extensive list of roles on her resume, both in teen mov- ies and shows and now in much more grown-up fare. Highlights from her younger period include playing Velma in the live-action "Scooby-Doo" movies in 2002 and 2004, and her breakout role as Heather in the 1997 cult hit "Good Burger." The midpoint in her transition to adult roles was her long-run- ning gig as Samantha Taggart in the final six years of the classic medical drama "ER," from 2003 to 2009. Her recent career has been been largely filled with playing long-suffering-wife roles, both for laughs and for tears. See, for example, her spots in the Oscar- winning 2018 film "Green Book," the money-making Avengers movies (she played Hawkeye's wife in the most re- cent two), and the overlooked crowd-pleasers "Daddy's Home" (2015) and "Daddy's Home Two" (2017). Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Hollywood Q&A By Andrew Warren TV Media W hat could be more traditional than the classic family din- ner, the whole gang coming together for some fam- ily time, conversation and the promise of full bellies? For a lot of families it goes even further than that, with everyone cook- ing the meal together and passing on culinary traditions from generation to generation. Family cooking gets competi- tive in an exciting new series that premieres Thursday, June 20, on ABC. "Family Food Fight" may sound like the sort of food-slinging activity that makes a huge mess, but it's ac- tually a fast-paced cooking competition between families that are eager to show off their own delicious recipes and culi- nary traditions in the hopes of impressing a pair of judges with incomparable palates. New York Times bestselling cookbook author Ayesha Curry serves as host of the competi- tion as family-based teams face off against each other. It's high energy and good fun, with ri- valries springing up as the fam- ilies jostle to outcook one an- other and earn the title of America's No. 1 Food Family. Of course, the $100,000 prize that's up for grabs is an added incentive for the family mem- bers to cook like they've never cooked before, but to earn that huge cash prize they have to impress the judges. The duo who taste every dish and pass judgment on the makers shouldn't need much of an introduction for fans of cooking competitions. Gra- ham Elliot was one of the original judges in Fox's "Mas- terChef," and is a frequent judge in Bravo's "Top Chef," while Cat Cora was one of the original Iron Chefs in Food Network's competitive series of the same name. They're both internationally renowned, and both have their own loyal fans. Neither will be pulling any punches here: their job is to pick the family with the best culinary skills that stretch across generations. They cer- tainly have their work cut out for them, with the many delec- table dishes put out by the fami- lies making it almost impossible to choose the best of the batch. The family fun kicks off Thurs- day, June 20, on ABC. New competition gives 'food fight' a whole new meaning 10 | Cooking this week Moore's Home Health 2 x 2" Family Health Clinic 2 x 1.5" White Lilies N Paradise 2 x 1.5" Ayesha Curry hosts "Family Food Fight"

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