Entertainment NOW

Entertainment Now | January 11 - 17, 2020 By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: Will "Outlander" be com- ing back soon? If so, can you tell me when? A: The whole concept of time is a little more flexible for "Outland- er" fans, but you can count on this: Season 5 of the time-traveling his- torical romance series will pre- miere on Sunday, Feb. 16. And the good news doesn't stop there. Starz has leapt into the fu- ture itself by already renewing the show for a sixth season as well — in fact, it picked up the fifth and sixth seasons before Season 4 even debuted, such is the faith it has in this one. Of course, that's not new. The cable channel did the same thing a few years ago, issuing a renewal for the third and fourth seasons si- multaneously. And at the moment, there's no reason for Starz to not continue this for quite a while. The ratings remain strong for the series (they dropped a bit in Season 4, but the show still averages more than a million viewers per episode), and there's plenty more source materi- al to draw from. The series is based on novels written by Diana Gabaldon, with each season covering one novel — the upcoming season will (mostly) cover the fifth book, titled "The Fi- ery Cross." There are three more books already done, and more still to come — Gabaldon is nearly done work on the ninth and shows no signs of slowing down. I say the new season "mostly" covers the fifth book, because some of the stars have hinted it will reach ahead a bit into the sixth. Q: Was that Parker Posey in "Blade: Trinity"? It looked like her, but she seems like an odd fit. A: Yes, that is Parker Posey play- ing the villainous vampire Danica in 2004's "Blade: Trinity," and you're not alone in thinking she was a strange choice for the role. She thought so, too. Posey described being pres- sured by her agent to give it a try, despite being unhappy with the trend toward comic book and fan- tasy movies that was happening at the time. But she settled on a pret- ty positive outlook: "Hey, just be- cause it's not my bag doesn't mean it's not in my makeup bag." That clever quip comes straight from her memoir, "You're on an Airplane" (she explains the title in the book), in which she devotes a whole chapter to her surreal "Blade" experience, not because it was a significant moment in her career but because, as you say, it was an odd one. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Hollywood Q&A By Michelle Rose TV Media I f someone tells you they've made a list of New Year's res- olutions, tightening the belt and trimming the fat (literally and figuratively) are likely to be at the top of that list. We're heading into the mid- January crunch, a time when some resolutions are being put to the test, but don't let that discour- age you. Experts say it's easier to make changes when you're work- ing alongside others, and it seems Food Network wants to be part of your support network. Offering up resolution-friendly meal ideas is an annual tradition for the network, which aired its annual "Healthy Weekend" pro- gramming block on Jan. 4 and 5. New and encore episodes of shows, such as "The Kitchen" and "Girl Meets Farm," covered a range of healthier eating options to support your fitness goals, from meatless entrees to lower-calorie comfort foods. But your dollars will be doing all the stretching on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 18 and 19. That's when Food Network's daytime block switches to a money-saving theme. And with world food pric- es on the rise, getting the best val- ue out of your food budget is something that just plain makes sense. Encore episodes of "The Kitch- en" and "Trisha's Southern Kitch- en" will get the value-oriented cooking block started, with reci- pes and tips to transform any viewer into a savvy shopper (you can also cut costs by capitalizing on weekly specials to prep make- ahead meals). But one of the biggest food ex- penses — in my house, anyway (and guilty as charged) — is take- out and eating out. We all know we're paying extra for that conve- nience. But with the right recipe to try at home, you can get some of those same big flavors for less. And that's the focus of a new epi- sode of "30 Minute Meals," in which Rachael Ray will walk you through all the steps to cook up her flavorful Crazy Szechuan Beef and Messy Corn With Shishito. After that, "The Pioneer Woman" (aka Ree Drummond) prepares money-smart dishes for her "permanently hungry teen- age sons" (Food Network's words, not mine) in a new epi- sode. And an encore of a previ- ous episode serves up Ree's "Cheap and Easy" make-ahead meals. You can also look forward to new episodes of "The Kitchen" and "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" before Sunday's lineup takes up the mantle. Encores of "Brunch @ Bobby's" and "Guy's Ranch Kitchen" will continue the cost- cutting theme as part of a lineup that incudes new episodes of "Valerie's Home Cooking," "Deli- cious Miss Brown" and "Giada Entertains." Food Network offers tips, recipes to help you save 10 | Cooking this week Crab House 2 x 2" Family Health Clinic 2 x 1.5" White Lilies N Paradise 2 x 1.5" Rachael Ray hosts "30 Minute Meals"

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