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2 • July 21 - 27, 2019 • Brainerd Dispatch By Kyla Brewer TV Media W ith its stunning hotels, sizzling- hot beaches and even hotter nightlife, Miami is a haven for people looking for a taste of the high life. Yet, life in Miami isn't all fun in the sun, and a new series set in a posh hotel explores the dark side of the sunshine state. Academy Award nominee Demián Bichir ("A Better Life," 2011) stars as Santiago Mendoza, the owner of Miami Beach's last family-run hotel, in "Grand Hotel," airing Monday, July 22, on ABC. In- spired by the popular Spanish TV se- ries "Gran Hotel," the drama offers viewers a modern take on the classic upstairs-downstairs story as it fol- lows the lives of the Mendozas and their wealthy guests, along with those of their loyal working-class staff. The original Spanish series was a period drama, but ABC has updat- ed the American version of the show and set the action in multicultural Miami, an area brimming with Latin American culture. While the gorgeous hotel provides a luxurious setting for the series, it was quickly revealed in the June 17 pilot that the Mendoza's business was in trouble. The family has been plagued by escalating debt and scan- dals, not to mention explosive se- crets. A welcome respite from a summer schedule laden with reality TV shows, "Grand Hotel" is a prime-time soap for today's discerning TV fans, rife with a mysterious disappearance, an unexpected pregnancy and maybe even murder. Eva Longoria ("Desper- ate Housewives") — who executive produces, directs and appears in the series — has promised that the new show will deliver plenty of summer- time drama. "'Grand Hotel' is going to have a lot of twists and turns — big twists, big turns, big surprises — almost every episode," Longoria said in an official ABC Q&A video. "What will keep people coming back is falling in love with the journeys of each of these charac- ters and really car- ing about their arcs and where they're going, and then also discovering who they were. Some of them will have a past that catches up to them." Longoria guest stars as Beatriz Mendoza, Santiago's first wife and the original owner of the hotel, who appears in a series of flashbacks. Her family had owned the Riviera Grand Hotel for generations, and the business was passed down to her husband after she died. Accord- ing to official records, Beatriz died of a heart attack, but "Grand Hotel" plot twists soon cast doubt on that conclusion. In addition to Bichir, the main cast includes a bevy of beautiful, tal- ented performers. Roselyn Sanchez ("Without a Trace") plays San- tiago's second wife, Gigi, who also happened to have been Beatriz's best friend. She butts heads with Alicia (Denyse Tontz, "The Fosters"), Beatriz and Santiago's adult daugh- ter, who recently returned to the ho- tel after graduating with an MBA from Cornell. Alicia's brother, Javi (Bryan Craig, "General Hospital"), is the hotel's resident playboy. In Gigi's camp are her twin daughters: the self-obsessed Carolina (Feliz Ramirez, "Bull") and the decidedly more awkward Yoli (Justina Adorno, "Seven Seconds"). Hotel manager Mateo (Shalim Or- tiz, "Heroes") bridges the gap be- tween the affluent "upstairs" charac- ters and the staff members. While he serves as Santiago's right-hand man, he also secretly works for the hotel's creditors. Helen Parker (Wendy Raquel Robinson, "The Steve Harvey Show"), known as "Mrs. P" to her colleagues, is the hotel's no-nonsense head of staff. As for the "downstairs" crew, the dutiful hotel staff is portrayed by a di- verse group of up-and-coming actors. Mrs. P's son, Jason (Chris Warren, "High School Musical," 2006), works at the hotel as a waiter. He befriends Riviera newbie Danny (Lincoln Younes, "Home and Away"). What Jason doesn't know is that Danny has been secretly investigating the disap- pearance of his sister, Sky (Arielle Kebbel, "The Vampire Diaries"), one of the hotel's line cooks who went missing after a heated run-in with Gigi. Meanwhile, pregnant hotel housekeeper Ingrid (Anne Winters, "13 Reasons Why") lies about her unborn child's paternity. The show also boasts an impres- sive roster of recurring actors, includ- ing Jencarlos Canela ("Telenovela") as rapper El Rey, Adrian Pasdar ("He- roes") as Felix, Katey Sagal ("Sons of Anarchy) as Teresa, and Freddie Stro- ma ("Time After Time") as Oliver. In true prime-time soap opera style, "Grand Hotel" features plenty of romance, notably a forbidden dalli- ance between Danny and Alicia, which blossoms despite Mrs. P's warnings to Danny that the hotel owner's family members are off lim- its. Meanwhile, an affair between El Rey and another character causes friction in the Mendoza family, and a scandal threatens to derail an em- ployee's career. Critical response to the series has been mixed so far. In a June review, Variety's Caroline Framke called "Grand Hotel" an "easy, breezy sum- mer watch." Hot stuff ABC's 'Grand Hotel' puts the sizzle in summer Cover Story this week Denyse Tontz as seen in "Grand Hotel" The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon A new study found that drinking coffee can help burn fat. America was like, "Great! I'll have TWO mocha frappuccinos with whipped cream and sprinkles." The very first Democratic debates are this week down in Miami. Most of the candidates are busy with debate prep, while Bernie Sanders spent the day on the beach with a metal detector. I think I know why Trump's upset. He's probably jealous of the Democrats, if you think about it. They got to be on TV, they got to talk about themselves, and they got to be in Florida. Tonight was the second Democratic debate — or as nine candidates called it, "Operation: Destroy Joe Biden." The Late Show With Stephen Colbert While we're in the middle of a humanitarian crisis on our border, in these detention facilities, this afternoon, we learned that Customs and Border Protection commissioner John Sanders is expected to step down. You know what they say: when the going gets tough, the tough go, "Good luck with that, sucks to be you." The Late Late Show With James Corden In California recently, a woman was arrested for shoplifting at a Target store after she went into one of their dressing rooms and drank an entire six-pack of the store's beer. Without a doubt, this is the most K-Mart thing to happen in a Target. A man in South Carolina was so dissatisfied with how his Mexican pizza was made at a Taco Bell that he stormed into the kitchen and made his own. He then took off, and is wanted by the police. Yeah, I hate when Taco Bell Mexican pizza doesn't have that authentic Mexican pizza taste. Late Laughs Truth Lutheran Church 501 Kingwood Street, Brainerd, MN (Corner of 5th & Kingwood) truthlutheranchurch.com An LCMC Congregation …Lutheran Congregation in Mission for Christ Sunday worship 9 AM Fellowship and Sunday school following worship To help support BCA: Make a tax deductible donation: BrainerdCommunityAction.org and use the "Click Here to Donate" Button. Brainerd Community Action is looking forward to launching its very first COMMUNITY GIVE BACK GRANT! Contact Cassie with questions at Cassie@BrainerdCommunityAction.org Downloadthe"VistBrainerd"App intheAppleorGooglePlayStores. Events,lodgingandthingstodo inthepalmofyourhand. VISITBRAINERD PlanningYour VisittoBrainerd JustGotEasier. TheOfficialDMOforBaxterandBrainerd,MN EntertainmentGuide_July_2x4.indd 1 6/26/2019 12:42:53PM

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