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TV Media Weekly | November 5 - 11, 2016 By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: Why is Zoe McLellan no longer part of the "NCIS: New Orleans" cast? Is she doing something new? A: Rumors abound about why Zoe McLellan has departed from "NCIS: New Orleans," in which she played Meredith Brody since its debut in 2014. One theory is that she was denied a raise by the show's producers. Another is that she left to raise her two-year-old son, Sebastian (supporting this are reports that she recently di- vorced her husband and shares custody of the boy, meaning she's now a single mom). However, none of these ru- mors have been confirmed. The only reason we know for sure is that her character was written off the show at the end of last season. It was revealed earlier that Brody had been dating a spy, and so she left the team to spare them from getting in trou- ble for her mistakes. The show dealt with her exit head-on in the new season, with the other characters openly questioning her decision to leave — it was a nice nod to McLellan's importance in the show. Just as McLellan has not been willing to confirm or deny the rumors about her departure, she's also been tight-lipped about what she's doing now. The only hint came at the end of September, when she posted a note to the social media site Instagram that she was "grate- ful to be sharing time" with the Writers Guild of America. This suggests she might be switching to writing for a while — a pur- suit she can do from home. The rest of her social media pres- ence is devoted to personal pho- tos, many of which refer to spending time with her son (supporting that particular ru- mor, and the idea that working from home might be particularly appealing at the moment). Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. Hollywood Q&A By Andrew Warren TV Media T he holidays mean a lot of things to a lot of peo- ple, and everyone has their own favorite at- traction to this time of year: festive decorations, spending time with family or watching loved ones open gifts. But something that I think would be on anyone's list of festive fa- vorites is the food — especially all of the baked goods. Holiday baking has a warm, special place in so many hearts, and for Food Network that means one thing is needed: a competi- tion to find the best holiday baker from a batch of talented pros. Bobby Deen ("Not My Ma- ma's Meals") returns for a third season of "Holiday Baking Championship," premiering Sunday, Nov. 6, on Food Net- work. Along with returning judges Duff Goldman ("Ace of Cakes"), Nancy Fuller ("Farm- house Rules") and Lorraine Pascale ("Worst Bakers in America"), he oversees a new group of bakers looking to "sleigh" the competition in a series of holiday-themed bak- ing challenges and take home the $50,000 prize. In the season premiere, the contestants are presented with some classic seasonal drinks: creamy eggnog, sweet apple ci- der and frothy hot chocolate are all delicious to sip, but the bakers need to transform them into festive baked confections. Whichever baker comes up with the best reimagining of his or her drink wins an advantage for the main heat challenge, and this one's a doozie. Not only are the bakers tasked with baking a filled Bundt cake — itself a tricky task — but the sweet pastries also have to be decorated to look like beautiful Christmas wreaths. In the end, one baker is sent home, but for the rest of the competitors, the challenges are just ramping up. Whether it's cooking without appliances, putting a new spin on a classic yule log or baking up some Thanksgiving-themed cup- cakes, the holidays are taking on a whole new level of inten- sity for this year's hopefuls. With $50,000 under the tree for the eventual winner, this year's "Holiday Baking Cham- pionship" has the sweetest gift of all for one talented baker. Bobby Deen, Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Lorraine Pascale as seen in "Holiday Baking Championship" Seasonal sweets The third annual 'Holiday Baking Championship' heats up the ovens 10 | Cooking this week Friendship Haven 2 x 2.5" Noah's Ark 2 x 2" 2nd Shift Plumbing 2 x 1.5" CALL TODAY FOR AVAILABILITY! Section 8 senior housing An Independent Retirement Community 2600 W. Jefferson St. Kokomo 765-459-9343 24/7 Complete Sewer & Plumbing Service Call Someone Who Gives a Shift! callsomeonewhogivesashift.com PC#10500764 (765) 863-8522 ! NO EMERGENCY FEES!

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