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TV Media Weekly | May 27 - June 2, 2017 By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: Is the sitcom series "Still Standing" with Jami Gertz and Mark Addy out on DVD? A: It's not, though I can't see a clear reason why. "Still Standing" was never a smash hit or anything, but it got four seasons on CBS, from 2002 to 2006, which is enough to fill out a box set. It also features a couple of fairly prominent stars, albeit promi- nent at different times. Jami Gertz, who plays the show's matriarch, was an '80s film bombshell who had leading roles in mid-'80s touchstones "Quicksil- ver" (1986), "The Lost Boys" and "Less Than Zero" (both 1987), and a smaller role in the 1984 classic "Sixteen Candles." Mark Addy, who played Gertz's husband in "Still Standing," only really gained attention in 1997 with his leading role in the stealth- hit comedy film "The Full Monty," made in his native Britain. He's best known now for a role he played after "Still Standing" was canceled — King Robert Barathe- on in "Game of Thrones." Granted, he was only in it for the first season (spoiler alert: he dies, like most oth- er characters in that show), but still, a high-profile turn like that must certainly have raised interest in his previous work. The fact that there are no plans to release "Still Standing" on DVD may have less to do with the show, and more to do with the industry. The DVD business isn't what it used to be, apparently thanks to the Internet. DVD sales in general have declined steeply in the past decade or so, a fact which industry watchers used to attribute to pira- cy but now tend to blame on legal streaming services such as Netflix. Andrew Furtaco of the industry- news site Now Streaming chalks it up to the economics of disc-buying versus a Netflix subscription. "Who would buy a box set for 40 bucks when they could pay eight and get everything?" The "eight" he's re- ferring to is the monthly Netflix charge; the "everything" is the fact that it gives you access to dozens, or even hundreds, of TV shows and movies, not just one. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Hollywood Q&A By Andrew Warren TV Media B uckle up, food fans — Fox's massive culinary competition is back with new contestants, a new judge and a whole host of new challenges for home cooks with culinary dreams. "MasterChef's" eighth season premieres Wednesday, May 31, on Fox, and world-famous chef Gor- don Ramsay and acclaimed pastry chef Christina Tosi return to judge the high-stakes cooking competi- tion. Last season was the first to feature only the two permanent judges — seasons 1 through 6 each had three — but this season the show is back at full strength after one of last year's guest judg- es received a promotion. Chef Aarón Sanchez takes a more permanent position along- side Ramsay and Tosi, after serv- ing as a guest judge in several epi- sodes last season. Cooking show connoisseurs should recognize him from his frequent appearanc- es as a judge in Food Network's "Chopped" and "Chopped Ju- nior," or maybe from his pair of cookbooks, "La Comida del Bar- rio" and "Simple Food, Big Flavor: Unforgettable Mexican-Inspired Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours." Speaking of cookbooks, part of the grand prize awarded to this season's "MasterChef" winner is a cookbook publishing deal, and last season's winner just released his. Las Vegas-based home cook Shaun O'Neale's "My Modern American Table" was released earlier in May, and it blends his own recipes with some behind- the-scenes peeks at his time com- peting in "MasterChef." Billing itself as one of the world's biggest cooking competi- tions, "MasterChef" recruits the best home cooks from around the country and puts them through an intense regimen of competition. These are folks from all walks of life — single parents, college stu- dents, even retirees — who have dreams of making a career out of their love of cooking but who nev- er went down the path of becom- ing professional chefs. Just because these ordinary folks never went to culinary school doesn't mean they're slumps in the kitchen — quite the opposite. To even get into the competition they have to prove they have the potential to be wor- thy of the grand prize: a cookbook deal, a whopping $250,000 and the coveted MasterChef trophy. It's a show that makes culinary dreams come true, and it's back to a full trio of judges with the addi- tion of chef Aarón Sanchez. "Mas- terChef" premieres Wednesday, May 31, on Fox. Christina Tosi as seen in "MasterChef" Chef Aarón Sanchez joins Fox's 'MasterChef' 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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