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TV Media Weekly | January 9 - 15, 2016 By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: Several of the presiden- tial front-runners are appear- ing in TV shows like "Saturday Night Live" and "The View." Is this a new trend, or have I just never noticed? A: I would argue that it is a new trend, but not a new phe- nomenon. The phenomenon actually dates back to a young senator and presidential hopeful named John F. Kennedy, who appeared in "The Tonight Show" back in 1960 when it was hosted by Jack Paar. That was a pretty serious affair, though, and didn't look much dif- ferent than an appearance on a political show would. Most cite Bill Clinton's appear- ance in "The Arsenio Hall Show" in 1992 as the first time a presi- dential candidate really had fun with it. However, in doing so they ignore a much earlier instance in 1968 when Republican candidate Richard Nixon appeared in the hippy-themed sketch comedy show "Rowan & Martin's Laugh- In." Granted, he only appeared on screen for about six seconds. These were all memorable, but isolated, moments. In terms of the current landscape, Vogue magazine's Patricia Garcia ar- gued earlier this year that there is a trend toward candidates ap- pearing on talk shows, and the sitting president is the man who started it. "The truth is, nobody does talk shows better than POTUS." (That's president of the United States, for those of you not in the loop.) "After Obama gave late- night TV his presidential stamp of approval, politicians now make a point of visiting talk shows when campaigning." That's why it does seem as if the TV is filling up with potential presidents. Despite this, Donald Trump's decision to host "Satur- day Night Live" in the fall seemed like a bold move. However, even that had a precedent — Republi- can candidate Steve Forbes host- ed the legendary sketch show in 1996. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Hollywood Q&A By Kyla Brewer TV Media W ith a string of suc- cessful restaurants across the globe, a number of bestsell- ing books and several hit televi- sion series, it's clear that people just can't get enough of chef Gor- don Ramsay. He brings his fiery personality back to prime time in the season premiere of "Hell's Kitchen," airing Friday, Jan. 15, on Fox. Based on the hit U.K. pro- gram, the culinary series is enter- ing its 15th season on Fox, which also boasts Ramsay's amateur cooking competitions "Mas- terChef" and "MasterChef Ju- nior," as well as his hotel revamp show "Hotel Hell." Obviously, Fox just can't get enough of Ramsay either. "We've always been huge fans of Gordon," explained Fox exec- utives Dana Walden and Gary Newman after the season 15 pickup was announced. "With his massive global brand and his unbelievably loyal fans, Gordon has become one of the biggest names in the culinary world and one of the biggest talents in tele- vision." In "Hell's Kitchen," the celebri- ty superchef mentors 18 aspiring chefs who are out to prove that they have what it takes to run a restaurant. Divided into teams, the contestants face grueling challenges designed to test their mettle in the kitchen. The winners of the challenges often enjoy lav- ish rewards, such as once-in-a- lifetime dining experiences, while members of the losing team must complete strenuous "punish- ments." Perhaps the real test, however, is how the teams perform in the kitchen during an actual dinner service in the Hell's Kitchen res- taurant. Following the challenge portion of the competition, the chefs work in a specially de- signed kitchen — one for the red team and another for the blue team — to prepare food for din- ers in the restaurant. As they struggle to get the food out quickly, they must meet Ramsay's exacting standards as he moni- tors everything from the front of the kitchen, or "the pass." Each week, some of the hope- fuls are eliminated, leaving room for the best of the best to battle it out for the ultimate culi- nary prize: a head chef position at a prestigious restaurant, not to mentionthe bragging rights you get as the winner of "Hell's Kitchen." For ravenous fans who just can't get enough of the red-hot series, Fox has already put in an order for season 16. For now, watch how season 15 pans out when the fun begins Friday, Jan. 15, on Fox. Gordon Ramsay as seen in "Hell's Kitchen" 'Hell's' bells Ring in 2016 with a new season of 'Hell's Kitchen' 10 | Cooking this week Robin Hood Muffler 2 x 2.5" Noah's Ark 2 x 2" Barkers B&K 1 x 3" Main Street United Methodist 1 x 2" Noah's Ark Animal Clinic & Canine Salon Veterinarian | Boarding | Grooming 1719 N. Faith Rd. Kokomo (off of SR 931 N) 8am-5pm M-F 8am-noon Sat. 868-8140 www.noahsarkanimalclinic.org Walk-ins Welcome FREE MEAL EVERY SUNDAY AT 5PM! 830 S. 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