Entertainment NOW

Entertainment Now | September 10 - 16, 2022 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 concerns surrounding COVID-19 pandemic delays and the risk of crew members contracting the Omicron variant, the highly an - ticipated, new musical drama "Monarch" finally kicks off in style. Now scheduled to premiere Sunday, Sept. 11, on Fox, "Mon- arch" stars Hollywood legend Susan Sarandon ("Thelma & Louise," 1991) as Dottie Cantrell Roman, the matriarch of the fic- tional Roman country music dy- nasty. Created by budding talent Melissa London Hilfers ("Blas- phemy," 2019), the series fol- lows in the footsteps of multi- generational 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 Nicolette "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 Law- yer," 2011) stars as her husband, family patriarch Albie Roman, another key role in the series. To- gether, 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 ev- erything in her power to stave off media vultures and the pry- ing 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 foun- dation 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 an- nouncements made in Septem- ber. By that time, Beth Ditto ("On Becoming a God in Central Flori- da"), Martha Higareda ("Altered Carbon"), Inigo Dôminic Pascual ("Wansapanataym"), Emma Mi- lani ("Solve") and Joshua Sasse ("No Tomorrow") had joined the main cast alongside Sarandon, Adkins and Friel. Filming began mid-September last year in At- lanta. Since the announcements were made — and certainly since the official trailer was re- leased in December 2021 — country music and TV fans have been excited to see what "Mon- arch" 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 daughters' goals in order to con- tinue her claim on the Queen of Country 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. The Roman children, however, appear to have some battles of their own ahead, as sisters Nicky and Gigi (Ditto) go head-to-head to see who will follow in their mother's footsteps, and brother Luke (Sasse) manages Monarch Entertainment under the title of CEO. With each of their futures hanging in the balance of their parents' shadows and lies, the Roman siblings will need to band together to forge ahead. Sadly, that doesn't appear to be much of an option starting out. Also central to a series about country music is, well, the music. "Monarch" features a mixture of original songs and covers throughout the series, some as the diegetic music performed by the characters in concert or at home (such as Adkins' cover of Hank Williams Jr.'s "A Country Boy Can Survive"), and others as non-diegetic music used to set the tone of the scene for the show's viewers. One new song that is getting a lot of traction al- ready is the "Monarch" theme, "The Card You Gamble." Written by Love Junkies — the trio comprising singer/song- writers Hillary Lindsey, Lori McK- enna and Liz Rose — "The Card You Gamble" is performed by American singer Caitlyn Smith and tells the story of uncertainty associated with following one's passion, whether it's love, music or something else entirely: a re- curring theme throughout the series. With live performances still sometimes on hold or limited in today's pandemic-recovering so- ciety, this new series offers a way to escape reality while enjoying some "Texas-sized" country flair. "Monarch" premieres Sunday, Sept. 11, on Fox, following an ac- tion-packed afternoon of foot- ball. Trace Adkins, Susan Sarandon and Anna Friel star in "Monarch" Sarandon dons boots for long-awaited series 'Monarch' 2 | Cover story Grindstone Charlie's 1 x 4" Moore's Home Health 5 x 2"

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