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TV Media Weekly | July 22 - 28, 2017 By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: The series "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" did not seem to me to resolve after the seven episodes I have been able to find. Will there be any more of this engaging show? A: Author Susanna Clarke agrees with you: "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell," the minise- ries based on her debut novel, did not offer sufficient resolution to the lives of its characters. To that end, her second book, a short-story collection titled "The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories," picks up where the first left off. One story features a "fuller explanation" of events referred to in the novel (to quote the second book's fanciful introduction), and another features two of the central characters, Jonathan Strange him- self as well as the mysterious Ra- ven King. But sadly, the seven episodes aired by BBC America in 2015 are it for TV adaptations. They covered, more or less, all the events in the novel. So barring a TV version of the short stories in her second book (a trickier proposition, as short stories don't generally do well as TV) we won't be seeing any more of those characters on screen. That is unless Clarke writes a longer sequel. It's been 11 years since her second book was pub- lished, and at the time she was talking about writing another nov- el with the characters, but noth- ing's come yet. Q: I recently watched the movie "Interstellar" starring Matthew McConaughey, and was surprised to see Matt Da- mon in a minor role. He wasn't mentioned in the credits. What's up with that? A: Depending on whom you ask, it was either a stroke of genius or much ado about nothing. But no one disagrees that it was a big deal. "Interstellar" (2014) director- writer-producer Christopher Nolan is passionate about secrecy, and he definitely wanted to keep this a se- cret — New York Times critic A.O. Scott said he had to sign a nondis- closure agreement before seeing the film so that he wouldn't reveal Damon's role in his review. CinemaBlend's Eric Eisenberg said that casting Damon in the role was a smart dramatic choice that "worked on many levels." The fact that he's such a big star cast in such a seemingly small role "puts the moviegoer on the edge of their chair anticipating the drama that is to come." Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Per- sonal replies will not be provided. Hollywood Q&A By Andrew Warren TV Media A ndrew Zimmern sure does get around. The chef is probably one of the more well-traveled TV personalities out there, with his long-running Travel Channel series "Bizarre Foods" taking him around the globe to sample some of the more unusual dishes and cuisines out there. For the new season (its 21st!), premiering Tuesday, July 25, on Travel Channel, Zimmern stays close to home and sticks with all- American foods. In his cross-coun- try trek, he doesn't just seek out modern cuisine, oh no — he heads out on an adventure through time, too, and looks for foods that are ripped right out of the nation's history. In the July 25 season premiere, Zimmern seeks out the history of cowboy culture. With a cowboy hat on his head, he visits a mod- ern-day vaquero, who shares with him a centuries-old dish: the bar- bacoa, which is a whole cow's head that's slowly roasted until it's perfectly tender. Sound gross? Not for Zim- mern, who's not averse to trying — and usually enjoying — any food, no matter how off-putting it may be to our modern sensibil- ities. That becomes apparent lat- er in the same episode, when he chows down on an old-fash- ioned chuckwagon stew made of calf heart, stomach, liver, tongue and marrow. Later this season, the four- time James Beard Award-win- ning chef and TV host retraces Paul Revere's legendary ride, cruises down the Mississippi and recreates legendary pioneer Daniel Boone's famous journey. Every step of the way, he mixes history with modernity, with a special focus on the foods that were enjoyed as America was built. This is far from the first time that "Bizarre Foods" has stayed home. Seasons 7 through 12 even had the title "Bizarre Foods Amer- ica," and the last season, which aired earlier this year, also stayed in the United States. It just goes to show that in a country as large and diverse as this one, there's al- ways more tasty — and bizarre — foods to be discovered. "Bi- zarre Foods" returns for season 21, premiering Tuesday, July 25, on Travel Channel. Andrew Zimmern chows down on America's early eats 10 | Cooking this week Sunspot 2 x 2" Vicker's Graphics 2 x 1.5" Tech Repairadise 2 x 1.5" Andrew Zimmern as seen in "Bizarre Foods"

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