Every Winter 2022 TCA Press Tour Highlight from ABC, Hulu, and Freeform

January 12, 2022January 12, 2022

By Andie Hagemann

ABC Entertainment, Disney Television Studios, Freeform, and Hulu Originals this week showcased new and returning series as part of the Television Critics Association’s Winter Press Tour… and also made some exciting announcements! Celebrated series black-ish—which launched its momentous farewell on Tuesday, January 4, with an appearance by former First Lady Michelle Obama—will welcome several more sensational guest stars. Meanwhile, Station 19 will return for another season; comedian Jo Koy is set to star in the new single-camera comedy Josep; Promised Land debuted a new trailer ahead of this month’s series premiere; Hilary Duff talks Hulu’s How I Met Your Father; and much more.

Read on for all the noteworthy details…

black-ish (Airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC)
Having kicked off its celebratory eighth and final season with a visit from Michelle Obama, black-ish fills up its star-studded guest roster with a slate of celebrity appearances as the Johnsons prepare to say goodbye. Upcoming special guest stars this season include Andrew Bachelor (KingBach), Kent Bazemore, Simone Biles, Jeanie Buss, Daveed Diggs, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Vivica A. Fox, Montrezl Harrell, Dwight Howard, Magic Johnson, DeAndre Jordan, Malik Monk, Isaiah Mustafa, Kendrick Nunn, Rajon Rondo, Reid Scott, and Stephen A. Smith, among others.

While talking about how the series was able to get so many exciting cameos for their final season, showrunner and executive producer Courtney Lilly joked, “Michelle Obama was easy because Tracee [Ellis Ross, who plays Dr. Rainbow Johnson] and Michelle are friends. It was something we wanted to do for a long time. The opportunity presented itself and it came down to, ‘Hey will you send a text to your friend and see if she’s interested?’”

“With Magic Johnson, we’re doing an episode with the [Los Angeles] Lakers that we’re really excited about, and Anthony [Anderson, who plays Dre Johnson] was our hookup for that,” Lilly continued. “Tracee and Anthony essentially know everybody.”

Lilly also spoke about the impact black-ish has had, and why many of their guest stars eagerly came on board in the first place. “We’ve been on for eight years. It’s a show that people watch with their families, and they’re proud to be able to sit there and be like, ‘Hey, I’m on black-ish.’” He added, “People leapt at the opportunity because of the work we’ve done.”

Judge Steve Harvey (Airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC)
Steve Harvey serves as the judge, jury and star of Judge Steve Harvey, a new unscripted series on ABC. Harvey said the courtroom comedy, which debuted last Tuesday as ABC’s most-watched unscripted new series debut in a year, has been on his mind for over a decade. “I came up with this idea about 12 years ago, but I just never told anybody,” he said. “I’d never sat in a pitch room about it. I’d never met with the network about it. I’d never discussed it with my team, my production company—no one. I just had this idea. We were on a zoom call with ABC… [for them] to pitch a scripted show for me, a sitcom. They got through talking about, and it was a great idea, but I wasn’t that enthusiastic about doing a sitcom anymore. So, the president of ABC said to me, ‘Well, Steve, what would you like to do if you could do anything?’ I said, ‘I always wanted to be a judge on TV.’” In fact, he already had a clear vision. “I wanted it to be funny. I wanted to be insightful. I wanted it to be not about the verdict, but about the story,” Harvey said. “The next day, they greenlit it.”

Station 19 (Airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC)
ABC has renewed Station 19 for a sixth season! Executive producer and showrunner Krista Vernoff will continue to helm the successful Grey’s Anatomy spinoff series, which takes viewers inside the tough, tight-knit and sometimes heartbreaking world of Seattle’s bravest first responders, following a group of heroic firefighters as they constantly put their lives and hearts on the line. “It’s a privilege to tell stories of our heroic first responders, who on our show and in real life put their lives on the line every day to keep us all safe,” said Vernoff. “I’m so grateful to Disney and ABC for the early pickup for season six of Station 19! It’s a tribute to the incredible work of our talented cast, crew, writers and creative team, as well as the dedication of our loyal fans who tune in every week.”

How I Met Your Father (Premieres Tuesday, January 18, on Hulu)
Hilary Duff leads the ensemble cast of the brand-new Hulu original series. In the near future, Sophie (Duff) is telling her son the story of how she met his father: a story that catapults us back to the year 2021 where Sophie and her close-knit group of friends are in the midst of figuring out who they are, what they want out of life and how to fall in love in a time full of options in the age of dating apps.

Duff stressed the new series is its own standalone story from the hit series How I Met You Mother, which presented unique challenges for the ensemble cast. “I think it’s important to know that we are our own show,” the actress said. “The original show was so amazing, and they were so tied into one another and did such an amazing job, but this is its own show. We’re trying to create something original by stealing a few things from them that worked really well—but this is a new format for all of us. The entire cast hasn’t done a multi-cam show before, and I think having someone like [director] Pam Fryman lead us into that journey was so helpful for all of us. We clicked pretty fast. Some of us watched the episodes and were like, ‘Oh! We have a show! We did it! We look like we’re best friends! We like each other!’ It all fell into place, and we just hope that magic comes across when other people watch it.”

Single Drunk Female (Premieres Thursday, January 20, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Freeform)
In this adult comedy series, after a public flame-out at a New York media company, 20-something alcoholic Samantha Fink (Sofia Black-D’Elia) is forced to seize the only chance she has to sober up and avoid jail time: moving back home with her overbearing mother, Carol (Ally Sheedy). Back in Greater Boston, Samantha restarts her life, working at a grocery store while surrounded by all of the triggers that made her drink in the first place. Confronted with remnants of her old life, including run-ins with her perfect former best friend, who is now dating her ex, Samantha sets out on a path to move past her worst self and figure out her best self. Kinda.

The mother-daughter relationship is “the heart of the series,” D’Elia explained. “It’s complicated, and funny, and weird, and nuanced in a way that I think any girl with a mother can understand and relate to. And it’s really fun doing it with Ally.” Sheedy agreed with her co-star, adding, “It’s very fluid and messy, which is what I love. I love Sofia, so going to work every day was an absolute joy. This was an easy relationship for us to mess around with.”

Promised Land (Premieres Monday, January 24, at 10 p.m. ET/PT)
Promised Land, an epic, generation-spanning drama about a Latinx family vying for wealth and power in California’s Sonoma Valley, stars John Ortiz as Joe Sandoval, Cecilia Suárez as Lettie Sandoval, Augusto Aguilera as Mateo Flores, Christina Ochoa as Veronica Sandoval, Mariel Molino as Carmen Sandoval, Tonatiuh as Antonio Sandoval, Andres Velez as Carlos Rincón, Katya Martín as Juana Sánchez, Rolando Chusan as Billy Rincón, and Bellamy Young as Margaret Honeycroft.

“I would say more wine is savored than thrown in this show—but that doesn’t mean we don’t throw down a little bit,” said executive producer Maggie Malina. “There are so many juicy twists and turns to behold and to partake and deeply inhale, so I hope that will come through. It has been a great opportunity to learn a little bit about wine and how the complexity of wine can be reflected in all of these characters and storylines.”

The second episode of the series will be available on Hulu the day after its premiere—marking the first time ABC programming will be released on Hulu before debuting on the network.

Dollface (Season 2 Premieres Friday, February 11, on Hulu)
Intended for mature audiences, the original comedy series will soon return with 10 all-new episodes. The streamer dropped the official trailer and key art for season two of the hit series during Tuesday’s TCA session. The second season follows Jules (Kat Dennings) and her best friends post-pandemic, post heartbreak and heading toward turning 30. Having successfully reunited with her friends—Madison (Brenda Song), Stella (Shay Mitchell) and Izzy (Esther Povitsky)—Jules must now balance keeping their group together as they navigate work, love and a deeper relationship with each of themselves.

American Idol (Premieres Sunday, February 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC)
Music industry legends and all-star judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie, along with Emmy-winning producer and host Ryan Seacrest, return to help discover America’s next singing sensation for American Idol’s fifth season on ABC and 20th season overall. This season, the judges will hand out platinum tickets in Austin, Los Angeles, and Nashville. “We identify the best talent in each place,” Perry said. “This ticket gives them the ability to go to Hollywood Week, which we’ve already filmed and was so rigorous; it was survival of the fittest. They get to observe from the box seats at the theater. For one day, they get to rest their voice, strategize, check out the competition and select who they want to duet with… These three ticket holders get a tiny advantage, just because they’re the cream of the crop.”

Although Bobby Bones is unable to return as the show’s in-house mentor this season, the contestants won’t be without help. “This year we will be leaning into our amazing American Idol universe alum to help our current Idols along the way in different stages of the competition,” said showrunner and executive producer Megan Michaels Wolflick. To that end, Seacrest said he hopes to see the likes of Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson, Ruben Studdard, and Carrie Underwood once more. “I can remember standing next to them,” Seacrest said, “looking at their faces and reactions in moments of success and challenge.”

The Oscars^® (Airing Sunday, March 27, on ABC)
During the executive session, Erwich announced the 94th Academy Awards^® will feature a host for the first time since 2018. He added that the show is “in the very capable hands of producer Will Packer, whose comedies have grossed more than a billion dollars at the box office. We’re giving Will the keys to Hollywood’s Biggest Night, and we’re excited to see how his vision comes to life. And you heard it here first: I can confirm that this year’s Oscars will have a host. It might be me,” he joked, “but I promise we’ll have a host. Expect more on that in the weeks ahead.”

The Great
The Hulu original comedy series created by Tony McNamara has been renewed for a 10-episode third season. The critically acclaimed second season—which debuted in November 2021—is currently nominated for three Critics’ Choice Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and it was one of the streamer’s top performing original comedies in 2021. The Great is created, written, and executive produced by McNamara and stars Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult.

Josep
Previously in development at ABC, the single-camera comedy has been ordered to pilot. Josep follows a recently divorced Filipino American nurse, played by comedian Jo Koy, as he attempts to navigate dating, fatherhood, and a very Filipino mother who loves to “help.”

Steve Joe serves as writer and executive producer; Koy will also executive produce, alongside Kourtney Kang, Jake Kasdan, Melvin Mar, Joe Meloche, Randall Park, Michael Golamco and Hieu Ho. Josep will be produced by 20th Television, part of Disney Television Studios.

Disney Earns 16 Screen Actors Guild Awards® Nominations

January 12, 2022

By Zach Johnson

Who will the Actor go to this year?

Nominations for the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards^® were announced today, with The Walt Disney Company receiving an impressive 16 nods across 11 categories. On the television side, Hulu leads the pack with eight of those nominations, including three for Only Murders in the Building (read about the killer cast here), two apiece for The Great and The Handmaid’s Tale, and one for Dopesick. Cynthia Erivo also earned a nomination for her role in National Geographic’s Genius: Aretha (read about how the limited series honors the Queen of Soul here), while Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Loki are both contenders for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series. On the film side, Nightmare Alley’s Cate Blanchett, The Eyes of Tammy Faye’s Jessica Chastain, and West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose are being recognized for their individual performances, and Marvel Studios’ Black Widow and Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings are up for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture.

Congratulations to The Walt Disney Company’s nominated performers:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Michael Keaton, Dopesick

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Cynthia Erivo, Genius: Aretha

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Disney Legend Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Elle Fanning, The Great

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
The Great
Only Murders in the Building

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
The Handmaid’s Tale

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Loki

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett, Nightmare Alley
Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Black Widow
Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings

To view the complete list of this year’s nominees, visit the Screen Actors Guild website.
Winners will be announced on Sunday, February 27.

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Week

January 10, 2022

By Andie Hagemann

Celebrate the work of iconic Disney Legend Betty White with the debut of The Golden Palace—a spinoff of The Golden Girls—which hits Hulu on Monday, January 10. Then unite the squad for a viewing of Marvel Studios’ Eternals when it lands on Disney+, on Wednesday, January 12. Think you can take on the Chaser? Watch a new episode of The Chase Wednesday on ABC. Plus, Madagascar: A Little Wild premieres its sixth season on Hulu Thursday. After that, get ready to go on a mission with Bingo and Rolly in an all-new episode of Puppy Dog Pals.

The Golden Palace—Monday, January 10, on Hulu
Grab the cheesecake, because The Golden Girls sequel is now on Hulu! Rose Nylund (White), Blanche Devereaux (Disney Legend Rue McClanahan), and Sophia Petrillo (Disney Legend Estelle Getty) are where we last left them, in the living room of the house they shared for seven years. But now they are leaving their comfortable home for a new life—as managers of an Art Deco hotel in South Miami Beach called The Golden Palace. Iconic actors Don Cheadle, Cheech Marin, and Disney Legend Bea Arthur also guest star, with Cheadle as Roland Wilson, the hotel manager, and Marin playing Chuy Castillos, the hotel’s chef.

Eternals—Wednesday, January 12, on Disney+
Marvel Studios’ Eternals follows a group of heroes from beyond the stars who have protected the Earth since the dawn of man. When monstrous creatures called the Deviants, long thought lost to history, mysteriously return, the Eternals are forced to reunite in order to defend humanity once again. The ensemble cast includes Gemma Chan as Sersi, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Barry Keoghan as Druig and Don Lee as Gilgamesh, with Kit Harington as Dane Whitman, Salma Hayek as Ajak, and Angelina Jolie as Thena. Chloé Zhao directs the film.

The Chase—Wednesday, January 13, at 10 p.m. ET, on ABC
The hit quiz show is back with a brand-new episode! Three new contestants face off against this week’s Chaser, but will they be victorious… or will they get caught? Trivia champions James Holzhauer, Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and “The Beast” Mark Labbett try their hand at foiling the contestants’ hopes at a big payday. Sara Haines hosts the race-against-the-clock game show.

Madagascar: A Little Wild—Thursday, January 13, on Hulu
It’s a jungle out there! Season six of the Hulu Original animated series kicks off with a big challenge for Marty (voiced by Amir O’Neil) as he attempts to return a puppy to its owner. Seems easy enough, right? Nope. The pup turns out to be an Arctic wolf pup, not to mention super adorable, and a big handful for Marty!

Puppy Dog Pals—Friday, January 14, at 9:30 a.m. ET on Disney Channel and 12:30 p.m. ET on Disney Junior
Bingo (voiced by Elisha Williams) and Rolly (voiced by Gracen Newton) are back with two new fun-filled adventures! After new pets move in on their street, the mischievous pugs take their new pals on their first mission. Then, Bingo and Rolly come to the rescue of Darius’ Aunt and Uncle Day when their gift accidentally is sent out with the mail. The pups help Buster and Leo on a mission to secure the gift and bring it back in time.

Why Everyone Is Talking About “Bruno” from Encanto

January 10, 2022

By the D23 team

They’re talking about Bruno now—all over the world. More precisely, they’re making tens of thousands of video clips using the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto, the Walt Disney Animation Studios film now streaming on Disney+.

Paraphrasing songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, Encanto star Stephanie Beatriz tells D23, “Disney songs are often the kinds of songs that little kids want to sing to themselves in the mirror when they’re all alone in the bathroom.” Now it seems “Bruno” is the Disney song kids (and adults) most want to dance to in front of their smartphone cameras when they’re all alone. Or with friends. Or out in public. Or for a TikTok audience.

No one, it seems, can stop talking about Bruno. The film’s soundtrack climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard charts this week, dethroning Adele’s 30, and it’s the No. 1 album on Apple Music and iTunes. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is currently the No. 1 song on Spotify’s Top 50 U.S. charts, and the video has been viewed over 44 million times since it debuted on YouTube December 28. On TikTok, Encanto is a featured trend, with sounds from the album earning a billion views.

Beatriz, the voice of Mirabel in the film, connects the popularity of “Bruno” and the other songs in Encanto to Disney’s long history of creating songs that connect emotionally with viewers. “You’re always creating something new, but you’re also hearkening back to what has been created [in the past]… the foundation that’s been built for you by all these other incredible artists before,” she says. “That part [of introducing new music] was really fun.”

Within Encanto, Mirabel’s estranged uncle Bruno (voiced by John Leguizamo) is a catalyst for the plot “who becomes increasingly important over the course of the story,” Jared Bush tells D23. The film is directed by Bush and Byron Howard, and co-directed by Charise Castro Smith. The screenplay is written by Castro Smith and Bush. The reason the family doesn’t talk about Bruno was that “he could see the future [and] pretty much everything he saw was not good. So, there’s a lot of mystery around Bruno.”

Miranda says he pitched the idea for the song because of its relatability. “Every family has the things we talk about at the dinner table and the things we don’t—but we still talk about it,” he says. “We just don’t talk about it in front of Abuela [voiced by María Cecilia Botero] or in front of mom [Julieta, voiced by Angie Cepeda]. I wanted to write a song like that, where everyone says, ‘We don’t talk about that’… and then proceeds to talk about it!”

Plus, Miranda says, “Bruno” also afforded the filmmakers “an opportunity” to hear from some of the other characters who don’t have solos. “[I love] the wonderful surprise of Camilo’s [voiced by Rhenzy Feliz] section of the song, where he’s made it into a ghost story and he’s changing shape and turning into Bruno as he’s describing him. Dolores [voiced by Adassa] has this magical hearing ability, so she’s the quietest one. She actually talks the fastest and has the most insight on the family dynamic between Bruno and the rest of the family, because she listens to everything. No one really asks her, but she really knows everything. It was a joy to take dictation from Dolores when her musical voice emerged.”

“The other one that’s really delicious for me is Pepa [voiced by Carolina Gaitán] and Félix at the beginning of the song,” he says. “They’re telling a story about how Bruno ruined their wedding, but they keep getting in each other’s way telling the story. At one point, Pepa says, ‘Are you telling this story, or am I?’ And Félix goes, ‘I’m sorry, mi vida. Go on!’ That’s exactly my parents telling every story. It was nice to be able to sneak that into the movie.”

The song is one of Beatriz’s favorites in the film. “I just love it! It gets caught in my head, man,” she says, just before breaking into song: “‘We don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no, no.’” Further praising Miranda’s songwriting ability, Beatriz adds, “It just gets in there. What Lin can do so very well is write these hooks that get in there and they don’t leave. I love them.”

Howard emphasizes that the movie, including its songs, keeps the focus on Mirabel’s family, and saving her family is Mirabel’s mission in the film. Bush, Howard, Castro Smith, and Miranda “talked about, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we actually were able to dedicate a lot of time to really learning about all of these people who have so much to do with each other.”

Even if, well, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”

Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red to Premiere Exclusively on Disney+ on March 11

January 7, 2022

Growing up is a beast!

Today, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution announced that Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red will premiere exclusively in homes worldwide on Disney+ on Friday, March 11.

“Disney+ subscribers around the world enthusiastically embraced Pixar’s Academy Award^®-winning Soul and the critically acclaimed Luca when they premiered exclusively on the service and we look forward to bringing them Pixar’s next incredible feature film Turning Red,” said Kareem Daniel, Chairman, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. “Given the delayed box office recovery, particularly for family films, flexibility remains at the core of our distribution decisions as we prioritize delivering the unparalleled content of The Walt Disney Company to audiences around the world.”

Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red introduces Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda!

Turning Red is directed by Academy Award winner Domee Shi and produced by Lindsey Collins. In international markets where Disney+ is not yet available, the film will be released theatrically, with premiere dates to be announced.

Foodie Guide to the 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts

January 7, 2022January 7, 2022

By Andie Hagemann

Feast your eyes upon the eats and sips at this year’s EPCOT International Festival of the Arts!

Running from Friday, January 14 through Monday, February 21, 2022, as part of Walt Disney World Resort’s 18-month-long 50th anniversary celebration, the festival will showcase visual, culinary, and performing arts from across the world. This year, the chefs and mixologists have created items that aren’t just delicious but also works of art.

Catch a glimpse at the 15 food studios featuring some returning favorites and soon-to-be hits taking the foodie stage for the first time, such as The Craftsman’s Courtyard. For added fun, pick up a festival passport to try out the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine—a returning food stroll featuring some true culinary masterpieces. As you travel through the festival, make sure to collect stamps, by purchasing five of these decadent dishes, to redeem for a special prize from Deco Delights.

And don’t forget the new must-have popcorn bucket featuring an iconic fan favorite: Figment!

Pop Eats! (Near Port of Entry)

Tomato soup with grilled cheese
Tomato soup with bacon, apple, and brie grilled cheese (New)
Almond frangipane cake layered with raspberry jam, and Belgian chocolate
Pop’t Art – Modern-designed sugar cookie with chocolate-hazelnut filling
Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket with rainbow popcorn (Limit 2 per guest) (New)
Hazy IPA
Tomato Soup Can Bloody Mary

The Deconstructed Dish (Near Port of Entry)

Deconstructed BLT – Crispy pork belly, soft-poached egg, brioche, watercress espuma, and tomato jam
Deconstructed French Onion Soup – Beef broth ravioli, gruyére espuma, onion bread pudding, and onion textures (New)
Deconstructed Key Lime Pie – flexible Key lime curd, Key lime mousse, graham cracker cake, and meringues (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine–Green) (New)
Deconstructed Apple Pie a la Mode (Non-Alcoholic Beverage) – Apple-cinnamon gelato, cinnamon apple cider, apple pie filling, and streusel (New)
Brown Ale

Deco Delights (Near Port of Entry)

Dulce Chocolate Mousse with chocolate crémeux, and dark chocolate truffle (New)
Decadent Valrhona Chocolate with dark chocolate mousse, chocolate brownie, and cassis mousse (New)
Orange Mousse with lemon cake and raspberry meringues (New)
Strawberry Blonde Nitro
Vanilla Porter
Milk Stout
Neapolitan Beer Flight

The Craftsman’s Courtyard (Near Disney Traders) (New)

Cast iron-roasted P.E.I. mussels with sauteed tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs (New)
Cast iron-roasted steelhead trout with parsley salad, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, and lemon aïoli (New)
Wheat Beer
Chardonnay
Rosé
Cabernet Sauvignon
Wine Flight

Refreshment Outpost

Plant-based bratwurst with spicy turmeric aïoli, coffee barbecue jackfruit, and slaw (Plant-Based)
Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie
Blue Raspberry Blonde Ale
Nairobi Coffee Dark Beer
Brown Ale

Pastoral Palate (Germany)

Red wine-braised beef short rib with parsnip purée, broccolini, baby tomatoes, and aged balsamic
Wild boar cassoulet with duck confit, ham hock, and wild boar sausage (New)
Opera Cake – Almond joconde, coffee buttercream, and chocolate ganache
Rosé Hard Cider
Rosé Blonde Ale
Frozen Rosé
A Play on Rosé Flight
Old Vine Rosé

The Artist’s Table (America)

Beef Wellington – Mushroom duxelles, prosciutto and puff pastry with red wine demi-glace and baby vegetables
Pan-seared scallops with vanilla-butternut squash purée, brown butter cauliflower purée, and lime foam (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Orange)
Pistachio cake with cherry mousse and morello cherries
Sipping Chocolate Flight (Non-Alcoholic Beverage) – White, milk, and dark chocolate
White Ale
Amber Ale
Pinot Noir
Symphony in Chocolate Flight – Cream liqueurs paired with sipping chocolates
Beer Flight

Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina (Morocco)

Carrots Three Ways – Berbere-spiced grilled carrots, pickled carrots, and carrot ginger purée (Plant-based) (New)
House-made crispy almond phyllo pockets with white chocolate pomegranate, and milk chocolate orange (New)
Chai Tea Mint Mimosa – Twinings chai tea with Key lime sparkling wine, and mint
Sangria Hard Cider
Chai Hard Cider
Berry Hard Cider
Cider Flight

Vibrante & Vivido: Encanto Cocina (Between Morocco & France)

House-made chorizo and potato empanada with turmeric aioli, and annatto aïoli (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Yellow) (New)
Spicy ajiaco soup with guajillo and arbol chili-spiced chicken, potato, avocado, corn, and crème fraiche (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) (New)
Passion fruit mousse with dragon fruit jam (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
Coconut and Passion Fruit Smoothie (Non-Alcoholic Beverage)
Frozen Piña Colada
Passion Fruit Daiquiri

Refreshment Port (Near Canada)

Gnocchi poutine with red wine-braised beef, cheese curds, basil, and burrata (New)
Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie
Blood Orange Cosmo – Vodka with blood orange, cranberry, and lime (New)
Hard Cider

Gourmet Landscapes (Canada)

Blood orange-braised beet carpaccio with mustard vinaigrette, pickled clamshell mushrooms, golden beets, and crostini (Plant-based) (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Red) (New)
Roasted bone marrow with onion marmalade, pickled mushrooms, mache lettuce, and bone marrow snow (New)
Wild mushroom risotto, aged parmesan, truffle shavings, and zinfandel reduction
German Lager
Cuvee Sparkling Wine
Merlot
Frozen Rusty Nail Cocktail

The Donut Box

Vanilla donut with strawberry sugar, strawberry ice cream, fresh strawberries, and strawberry gele (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Pink) (New)
Inside Out Donut – Vanilla donut with Bavarian cream (New)
Rosé
Cold Fashion Coffee Cocktail

L’Art de la Cuisine Française (France)

Crème de Brie en Petit Pain – Warm creamy brie in a house-made bread bowl
Croissant a la Truffle Noire d’Hiver – Black winter truffle croissant served warm
Mousseline de Bisque de Homard Froide, Brioche Feuilletee a l’Aneth – Chilled lobster bisque mouse served with dill brioche (New)
Moelleux aux Noisettes et Chocolats Valrhona –Molten chocolate and hazelnut cake with pure origin Valrhona chocolates
Frozen French Martini – Vodka black raspberry liqueur, pineapple, orange, and grape juice with lemon-lime foam
French Rosé Sparkling Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
Sparkling Chardonnay

El Artista Hambriento (Mexico)

Huarache Verde – Cilantro huarache with cochinita ibil, fresh pineapple, and pickled onion (New)
Carne Asada – Seared beef tenderloin, grilled queso fresco, refried beans, scallion, and ranchera salsa (New)
Taco de Chocolate – Chocolate candy shell filled with Mexican chocolate mousse with a touch of chile topped seasonal fruit (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
Mexican Craft Beer – Crafted with citrus notes and made with Mexican Caribbean seawater
The Lilt – Blanco tequila, violet essence infusion, rose petal liqueur, cranberry, and lime juice
Smoky Raspberry – Blanco tequila, rosemary-infused mezcal, ginger cordial, lime juice, and rosemary aroma

Goshiki (Japan)

Chicken Kushiage – Breaded and fried chicken with yum yum sauce, and vegetables (New)
Sushi Donut – Donut-shaped sushi featuring salmon, tuna, shrimp, cucumber, and sesame seed over a decorated plate of wasabi aïoli, sriracha, and eel sauce
Winter Ale
Sake in a traditional personalized wooden cup
Niseko Flurry – Sake, rum, white cranberry juice, blue curaçao, and lime juice (New)

The Painted Panda (China)

General Tso’s chicken shumai
Char Siu pork bun
“Panda” Bubble Tea (Non-Alcoholic Beverage) – Classic milk tea with black and white boba
Jasmine draft beer
Easter Dynasty – Vodka, light rum, strawberry syrup, piña colada mix, soda water, and magic boba pearls
Kung Fu Punch – Vodka, triple sec, mango syrup, orange juice, and soda water
Sea Butterfly – Butterfly pea flower-infused cocktail with vodka, light rum, lychee syrup, magic boba pearls

L’Arte Mangiare (Italy)

Arancini – Fried risotto balls stuffed with braised-beef and served with pomodoro sauce (New)
Ravioli alla Boscaiola – Sweet Sausage ravioli, mushroom, caramelized onions, and creamy parmesan sauce (New)
Bomboloni – Chocolate-hazelnut Italian doughnut with powdered sugar (New)
Peroni Pilsner
Pinot Grigio
Chianti
Prosecco
Red Sparkling Wine
Moscato
Italian white sangria with prosecco
Italian red sangria with cabernet sauvignon
Italian margarita with tequila and limoncello
Amaretto Bellini – Amaretto, white peach purée, and prosecco
Bergamotto – Rosolio liqueur, prosecco and olive

Funnel Cake

Cherry Blossom Funnel Cake – Chocolate chip funnel cake topped with cherry ice cream, rainbow whipped cream, chocolate chips and a maraschino cherry (New)

Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company

World Discovery (Near Mission: SPACE)

Mocha Masterpiece Cold Brew – A sweet creamy cold brew topped with whipped cream and chocolate puffs

Canada

Colorful Canvas Cold Brew – A sweet creamy cold brew topped with whipped cream and fruity cereal

World Showcase (Near Disney Traders)

Cinnamon Swirl Cold Brew – A sweet creamy cold brew topped with whipped cream and cinnamon squares

The American Adventure

Rainbow Dreams Cold Brew – A sweet creamy cold brew topped with whipped cream and colorful marshmallow crunch

Tasty Treats to Come with Alice’s Wonderland Bakery—Plus More in News Briefs

January 7, 2022January 7, 2022

By Courtney Potter

**Disney Junior’s Alice’s Wonderland Bakery Sets Premiere Date**

Don’t be late for this very important date! Disney Junior’s Alice’s Wonderland Bakery, a fantastical animated series for preschoolers and their families inspired by the world of Alice in Wonderland, is set to premiere February 9 at 10:30 a.m. ET/PT, with a simulcast on both Disney Channel and Disney Junior. The initial batch of episodes will also premiere the same day on on-demand platforms and streaming on Disney+.

The series is a vibrant new take on the classic 1951 film centering on Alice—the great-granddaughter of the original heroine and a budding young baker at the enchanted Wonderland Bakery, where her magical treats help bring a new generation of friends and families together. Each episode, comprised of two 11-minute stories, follows Alice’s magical recipe adventures with her best pals, who join her in the bakery to whip up whimsical cakes and treats for friends and neighbors with enchanted kitchen tools and ingredients to help them.

Featuring reimagined versions of familiar iconic characters and introducing memorable new ones, the series stars newcomer Libby Rue as the voice of Alice and a host of fabulous celebrity guest stars—including Craig Ferguson, Eden Espinosa, Jon Secada, Vanessa Bayer, Bobby Moynihan, Donald Faison, Yvette Nicole Brown, Ana Gasteyer, and many more! But that’s not all: Stay tuned for a digital soundtrack featuring songs from the series, to be released by Walt Disney Records in February… and watch for Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing to debut a product line by Just Play, inspired by the series, in Fall 2022.

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend

Well, here we are—firmly ensconced in January. The weather is cold, there are still some holiday baked-good leftovers to eat (or is that just us?), and there’s plenty of fun to look forward to watching this weekend from around the worlds of Disney. Keep your eyes peeled for the latest episode of Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends on Disney Channel; watch for Kevin Hart on a new episode of ABC’s Shark Tank; and so much more.

**Standby Queue Launches for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT**

Heading to Walt Disney World Resort soon? We have fun news, courtesy our pals over at the Disney Parks Blog: EPCOT’s newest attraction, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, will feature a standby queue (instead of a virtual queue) beginning Monday, January 10! With this change—which ends the use of said virtual queue, for now—guests also have the opportunity to purchase access to a Lightning Lane* queue (with Disney Genie+, through the My Disney Experience app) for this attraction.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure had its delicious debut just in time for “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” honoring the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort. Since it opened on October 1 last year, legions of EPCOT guests have joined Remy in a memorable visit to Gusteau’s bustling kitchen. So, break out those chef’s toques and get ready to shrink down to the size of the culinary-expert hero of Disney and Pixar’s animated hit!

*Attractions with Lightning Lane entrances that are Disney Genie+ and individual purchases are limited in availability, subject to change or closure, may vary by date, are not guaranteed and may not be available at all on the date of visit or at the time you make a selection.

**Rooftop Concert from The Beatles: Get Back to Debut Exclusively in IMAX**

You’ll soon be able to see The Beatles’ unforgettable January 30, 1969, concert on the rooftop of Apple Corps’ Savile Row headquarters in a whole new way when it debuts as a 60-minute feature at an exclusive IMAX^®Event Screening and Filmmaker Q&A on Sunday, January 30.

To celebrate the anniversary of this truly iconic performance, select IMAX theaters will host these special screenings—featuring a cool Q&A with filmmaker (and Beatles superfan) Peter Jackson—and give away exclusive mini posters. And this event itself with make some history; the Q&A will be broadcast via satellite simultaneously to all connected theaters. A global theatrical engagement of the 60-minute feature, The Beatles: Get Back–The Rooftop Concert, will then run from February 11-13.

“I’m thrilled that the rooftop concert from The Beatles: Get Back is going to be experienced in IMAX, on that huge screen,” Jackson recently said. “It’s The Beatles’ last concert, and it’s the absolute perfect way to see and hear it.” The concert, which is shown in its entirety (for the first time!) in Jackson’s original docuseries, will be optimized for IMAX screens—digitally remastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience with proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Remastering) technology.

Tickets for this exclusive IMAX Event are now on sale. Meanwhile, The Beatles: Get Back is currently streaming on Disney+, and look for it on Blu-ray and DVD in the U.S. beginning February 8.

New Trailer for The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild

Earlier this week, the good folks at Disney+ unveiled the trailer for The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild—an all-new animated adventure featuring the return of the beloved characters from the wildly successful global Ice Age franchise, as they create more prehistoric pandemonium! Check it out, above.

Eager for a little independence, the thrill-seeking possum brothers Crash (voiced by Vincent Tong) and Eddie (voiced by Aaron Harris) set out to find a place of their own, but quickly find themselves trapped beneath the ice in a massive cave inhabited by dinosaurs. They’re rescued by the one-eyed, adventure-loving weasel Buck Wild (voiced by Simon Pegg), and together—with the help of some new friends—embark on a mission to save the Lost World from dinosaur domination. The film also features the voices of Utkarsh Ambudkar and Justina Machado.

The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild premieres exclusively on Disney+ on Friday, January 28. And prepare for the fun to come with the Ice Age collection (five films and two television specials) currently available on the streaming service.

ICYMI: Meet the Class Clowns of Abbott Elementary

ABC’s new comedy Abbott Elementary—created by Quinta Brunson, star and executive producer—follows a group of dedicated teachers (and one slightly tone-deaf principal) as they navigate the ups and downs of their Philadelphia-area school. Hear from Brunson and the cast about what makes the series so special right here at D23.com.

Explore These Breathtaking Destinations with National Geographic

January 7, 2022

By the D23 Team

Explore the world with National Geographic! Our friends at National Geographic Expeditions have just announced new 2023 departure dates for their Signature Land, Private Expedition, and River Cruise itineraries. These exciting offerings give curious travelers unique access to destinations around the world, paired with the knowledge of a National Geographic Expert.

Not sure which National Geographic Expedition is right for you? Read on to find out what makes each trip special…

Signature Land Trips
These premium, fully planned itineraries take a small group of 16 to 25 travelers on a breathtaking, in-depth exploration of the history, culture, heritage, and natural wildlife of their destination. In 2023, the Signature Land itineraries take you to top destinations, including Patagonia, Jordan, India, and Borneo. The ’23 dates also include a reimagined Costa Rica: Wildlife and Conservation Expedition—which leads travelers through the country’s tropical rainforests and wetlands, as they learn about the rich biodiversity and conservation efforts at work through organizations including the Monteverde Institute and Leatherback Turtle Trust. All Signature Land departures include a National Geographic Expert who adds additional insights, stories, and education while traveling.

Private Expeditions
Private Expeditions offer travelers a curated itinerary developed by the National Geographic Expeditions team, allowing the exclusive opportunity to explore extraordinary destinations on the travelers’ preferred dates and with local guides. National Geographic Private Expedition destinations include Egypt, Peru, Morocco, Ecuador, China, and more.

River Cruises
On the National Geographic River Cruises, travelers will board world-class ships as they travel Europe’s most historic waterways. Each departure is accompanied by a National Geographic Expert, such as an author, historian, or archaeologist, who will give presentations on board and lead daily outings to grand cities and forgotten villages. Each trip also includes a National Geographic Photographer who can help travelers with their technique and artistry as they capture memories along the way.

Ready for your next adventure? D23 Members have the chance to get an early look at the 2023 Expeditions Catalog! Click here to view the catalog online.

Bookings for 2023 Signature Land, Private Expedition, and River Cruise itineraries open to the public on January 13, 2022. For additional information about itineraries, online reservations, and early booking criteria, please visit www.natgeoexpeditions.com. Guests who are eligible for early booking can also call 888-966-8687 directly to book their expedition.

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend

January 7, 2022

By Andie Hagemann

Cancel your weekend plans and stay home for a handful of television debuts! On Friday, Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends premieres its newest episode airing on Disney Channel and later Disney Junior. See if Kevin Hart strikes a deal when he joins the Sharks on this week’s Shark Tank. Plus, Lucy in the Sky makes its network debut Friday evening on FX ! Finish your Sunday funday with an episode of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and an all-new The Rookie!

Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends—Friday, January 7, at 9 a.m. ET on Disney Channel and 12:30 p.m. ET on Disney Junior
Sling into action for a brand-new episode featuring two exciting stories with our favorite web-slinger! Doc Ock steals the arachno-sting power in the first installment, forcing Team Spidey to work together to get it back before it puts the entire town to sleep. Peter Parker and pals face another challenge in the latter story as Green Goblin and Rhino capture a bridge and threaten to destroy it. Will Team Spidey intervene in time? Catch the episode on Disney Channel and its debut on Disney Junior.

Shark Tank—Friday, January 7, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
Actor, investor, and entrepreneur Kevin Hart brings the comedy to the tank as a guest Shark in this week’s episode. Hart joins Sharks Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, and Lori Greiner to hear pitches from budding entrepreneurs including a group from Los Angeles who created a fun tool that takes snacking to the next level; a pair from Flossmoor, Illinois with an idea that allows fans to build a real connection with their favorite celebrities and influencers via an online social network; and an independent Black content book publishing company with entrepreneurs from Middletown, Delaware and Vancouver, British Columbia seeking to change the way people learn about African history. Will Hart invest or will he be out?

Lucy in the Sky—Friday, January 7, at 8 p.m. ET on FX
Report for takeoff with the network premiere of Lucy in the Sky on FX! Oscar ® winning actress Natalie Portman stars as fictional astronaut Lucy Cola in this 2019 science fiction drama based loosely on life of NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak. In the Noah Hawley directed film, Cola returns to Earth following a transcendent first mission to outer space but begins to lose touch with reality which puts her career and personal life in jeopardy. Portman is joined by an all-star cast including Jon Hamm, Zazie Beetz, Dan Stevens, Colman Domingo, and Ellen Burstyn.

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune—Sunday, January 9, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
Get ready to solve the puzzle as three new celebrity contestants spin the wheel in the all-new episode. Actress Marcia Cross (playing for Stand Up To Cancer), NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns (playing for Vera Institute of Justice), and actor Anthony Anderson (playing for Anderson Family Foundation) compete for their selected charities but who will come out on top?

The Rookie—Sunday, January 9, at 10 p.m. ET on ABC
The heart-pounding action continues as the team turns to a criminal for his expertise to help take down an even bigger threat. Meanwhile, LAPD Officers Chen (Marissa O’Neil) and Bradford (Eric Winter) investigate the murder of an unhoused teenager who used to be friends with Tamara (Dylan Conrique). Tony Award® winning actor Steve Kazee guest stars in the episode.

Inside ABC’s New Limited Series Women of the Movement

January 6, 2022

By Zach Johnson

From the outset, Marissa Jo Cerar knew how she wanted to depict the life and death of Emmett Till through his mother’s point of view. Premiering Thursday, January 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT and airing over three consecutive weeks, ABC’s six-episode series Women of the Movement is based on the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley, who in 1955 risked her life to find justice after her son was brutally murdered in the Jim Crow South. Women of the Movement creator, showrunner and executive producer Cerar says the “limited knowledge” about what really happened to Emmett—and what his mother endured—inspired her to develop the timely new series.

“We just had a picture of a smiling boy and then a brutalized boy,” Cerar says. “We had all of these stories, rumors, myths, and I wanted to know: Who was he? It was really important to me that we did not begin the series with a dead body; I did not want to be that show. I wanted to begin with his birth, because I wanted the audience to see their brother, their cousin, their neighbor, their child’s friend at school, their student, the little boy who walks into the corner store. That’s who I wanted them to see. I didn’t want them to see a victim in a body bag, because that’s what we see too frequently in the news and true crime series. I wanted this to be a family drama that happens to be about a true crime.”

While visiting his relatives in Mississippi in 1955, 14-year-old Emmett went to a grocery store with his cousins, where he allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant. Her husband, Roy Bryant, and brother-in-law, J.W. Milam, later kidnapped, mutilated and murdered Emmett, dumping his body in the Tallahatchie River. The newspaper coverage and murder trial galvanized a generation of young Black people to join the Civil Rights Movement—spurred in large part by Mamie, who insisted on an open casket viewing of her only child, as she believed the entire nation needed to bear witness to this racially motivated act of violence.

Says Cerar, “I wanted to do as much research as I possibly could—watch every interview, read every transcript—to learn about who Emmett Till was and do my best to put that on the page and bring it to life, and then give it to our beloved [actor] Cedric Joe to interpret and show us the boy.”

Joe, who plays Emmett, appreciated Cerar’s thoughtful approach. “We get to see more of who Mamie and Emmett were as people and not just a story that we were told,” he says, “so that was something big for me.” Glynn Turman, who plays Emmett’s great-uncle, Mose Wright, adds that the young actor did “a fantastic job” stepping into Emmett’s shoes, joking, “You wouldn’t know it, because he’s got a mustache now, but he’s an innocent soul.”

Following her Tony^® Award-winning performance as Tina Turner in Tina, Adrienne Warren gives an unflinching performance as Mamie in Women of the Movement. “There’s so much responsibility in telling the stories of people who are [real], especially our ancestors, those who have passed on,” Warren says. “And this history is our history. This history is my history. It is an honor to have the opportunity to tell their stories [and to it] in the best way I possibly can. For me, that means erasing myself from their narrative and putting them forward.” Warren admits “a lot of research” went into preparing to play such an iconic figure in the civil rights movement. For any role, Warren’s acting process involves “learning as much as you possibly can about the human being—not who people perceive them to be, but who they are—and presenting it in a way that is as truthful as possible as an actress.”

Filming on location in Mississippi, where Emmett was lynched, also helped Warren and other cast members get into character. “There’s something to be said about actually feeling the dirt they felt under our feet, seeing and being in some of the buildings they were in, feeling the ancestors with you, feeling the tension in the environment that is still there,” says Warren. “Not much has changed since 1955. You can feel it. You can feel the gravity of that, which takes everything we are doing and elevates it in a way that makes this [series] so unbelievably important, because it’s about education. This is about informing those who may not have known [about this story] so that we don’t continue to perpetuate these cycles of hurting one another, of hurting young people, of hurting mothers, of hurting humanity. We are hurting each other, [because] we are not seeing each other for who we really are.”

Many locals, in both Mississippi and Tennessee, worked as background actors, adding another layer of authenticity. “There are some scenes that have a lot of white folks in them,” says Ray Fisher, who plays Gene Mobley, Mamie’s husband. “Some of those people may be descendants of folks who may have been involved in… all of that contention.” What surprised him, Fisher adds, is that everyone on set “understood that the story we are trying to tell is much bigger than any one of us—and, in fact, it might be bigger than all of us. I think it was really a rally, and that was a really inspiring thing to witness, because you don’t know what you’re going to get into when you’re in the Deep South to tell a story that some people may not want told—and telling it in a way that some people may not want it told.”

Because of the heavy subject matter depicted in Women of the Movement, the cast intentionally sought out ways to lighten the mood offscreen. “We were all in Mississippi, sharing a hotel together and having fun, trying to shake off the day’s work,” says Tonya Pinkins, who plays Mamie’s mother, Alma Carthan. “We have to bring a lot of joy and laughter when you tell stories that go this dark and deep. You have to really find your joy when you’re not telling the story.” Warren, meanwhile, says she invited a friend to stay with her during the shoot in Mississippi, “so going home every day was like going home to family. There was dinner on the table for me, even if I already had dinner, and that was a blessing. It reaffirmed how important it is to make sure you have the right people around you. To be in this cast and to be surrounded by people who are just as passionate about telling this story made it that much easier for me to actually just show up, do my job and be as honest and as truthful and as deep as possible. Getting to the root of Mamie’s pain and the root of her love—because her pain is all rooted in her love for her son—was the most important thing for me. And because of [everyone], I actually felt a lot of love all the time. So, I felt supported by every single person I worked with, as well as when I got home.”

The cast also felt supported by those who knew the Tills. Emmet’s cousin, Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr., served as a consultant alongside his wife, Dr. Marvel Parker, and Ollie Gordon and Christopher Benson. “Although the Emmett and Mamie Till story is not a pleasant story,” says Rev. Wheeler, “it needs to be told over and over again just to remind us of American history, showing how far we’ve come and how much work we have to do.”

Cerar relates it was “challenging” to tell the story in just six episodes. “It was very difficult to condense, summarize and contain the story, but I’m so proud that we were able to tell as much as we did,” she says. “I’m so grateful there was no pressure for me to [cut certain scenes], like, ‘Oh, we don’t need to see the birth.’ ‘We don’t need to hang out with the family.’ ‘We don’t need to have dinner with them.’ I could have started with Emmett getting kidnapped and showing what happens next. I never wanted to do that, but I also never received any pressure to do that. I’m so grateful to ABC and to Kapital Entertainment; they just really let me tell the story the way I felt it was supposed to be told—and that is humanity forward, family at the top. We have crime, but we come back to Mamie. We come back to Emmett. We come back to Mose. We come back to Alma. We come back to Gene. It always comes back to the family. I’m so grateful I was able to tell the family story, the love story—and that I didn’t lose any of that to service more of the crime and the trial.”