Entertainment NOW

2 • September 11 - 17, 2022 Entertainment Now By Dana Simpson TV Media A ll eyes will be on the fic- tional country music world when it comes to television this week. Postponed in January due to con- cerns surrounding COVID-19 pan- demic delays and the risk of crew members contracting the Omi- cron variant, the highly anticipat- ed, new musical drama "Mon- arch" finally kicks off in style. Now scheduled to premiere Sunday, Sept. 11, on Fox, "Mon- arch" stars Hollywood legend Susan Sarandon ("Thelma & Lou- ise," 1991) as Dottie Cantrell Ro- man, the matriarch of the fictional Roman country music dynasty. Created by budding talent Melis- sa London Hilfers ("Blasphemy," 2019), the series follows in the footsteps of multigenerational family dramas such as "Blue Bloods," "Dallas," "Succession" and, most notably, "Nashville," while also blazing its own fresh path in the world of television. Plot-wise, the series follows the Romans throughout their daily lives, performances and personal dramas both big and small. As daughter and dynastic heir Nico- lette "Nicky" Roman (Anna Friel, "Land of the Lost," 2009) begins her ascension into the limelight previously long dominated by her parents, the family elders try with all their might to hold on to the secrets that paved the way to stardom for their family. In addition to Sarandon in the leading role of matriarch, real-life multiplatinum country star Trace Adkins ("The Lincoln Lawyer," 2011) stars as her husband, family patriarch Albie Roman, another key role in the series. Together, the two must grapple with a series of rumors that threaten to collapse the shaky foundation upon which they built their empire. The changes also appear to coincide with the rise to fame of their daughter, who, luckily for them, seems to have inherited more than just the family name and talent as she vows to do everything in her power to stave off media vultures and the prying eyes of the public. Fox, the network that owns and produced the show in its en- tirety, calls "Monarch" a "Texas- sized, multigenerational musical drama," noting in the same news release that "even though the Roman name is synonymous with authenticity, the very foundation of their success is a lie." While initially scheduled to air following the NFC championship on Jan. 30, "Monarch" has had a long trip to its new-found time- slot in the network's fall listings. The series was officially an- nounced in May 2021, four months prior to core casting announcements made in Sep- tember. By that time, Beth Ditto ("On Becoming a God in Central Florida"), Martha Higareda ("Al- tered Carbon"), Inigo Dôminic Pascual ("Wansapanataym"), Emma Milani ("Solve") and Joshua Sasse ("No Tomorrow") had joined the main cast along- side Sarandon, Adkins and Friel. Filming began mid-September last year in Atlanta. Since the announcements were made — and certainly since the official trailer was released in December 2021 — country music and TV fans have been excited to see what "Monarch" has in store. Sarandon's first series-regular appearance since her arc on "Ray Donovan" ended in 2019 (she also narrated "Dark Air With Terry Carnation" last year but was never seen), the actress returns to the small screen in a very big way. Insight from the trailer shows Sarandon's character, Dottie, struggling to leave the spotlight behind and retire, even going so far as to diminish her own daugh- ters' goals in order to continue her claim on the Queen of Coun- try title. She'll need the help of her husband to let go as the empire they built passes on to their own very talented kids, now all adults themselves. Cover Story Joshua Sasse, Trace Adkins, Susan Sarandon and Anna Friel star in "Monarch" A little bit country: Sarandon dons boots for long-awaited series 'Monarch' Ready Rental 3 x 4 Hayley Siefert 3 x 2 Letters & Numbers Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every row,every column, and every 4x4 box contains the digits 1 through 9 AND the letters A-F. Solution on page 12. Advertise Your Business In Call Advertising at 217-477-5105

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