What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1452753
February 20 - 26, 2022 WHATS UP! T11 to think that HGTV's other shows are all being sucked into Magnolia's gravity. As for why you sometimes see a wall of "Love It or List It" epi- sodes on the schedule, that's ac- tually not a new approach for HGTV, and it's not unique to that one show. A peek at a random day on HGTV's schedule back in Janu- ary shows 12 hours of "Flip or Flop." Another day had 15 hours of "Fixer to Fabulous." Indeed, reality networks like HGTV have been presenting hours-long marathons of popu- lar shows since their earliest days. Think back to TLC in the '90s, when it was writing the playbook for reality-based cable channels, and to how many epi- sodes of "What Not to Wear" or "Trading Spaces" they could fit into a single day. This reveals these channels to be pioneers of the binge-watching phenome- non that streaming channels like Netflix now claim to own. That said, reality shows like "Love It or List It" take a special approach to it. While writing for The Week in 2019, industry expert Noel Murray dug into this phenome- non and suggested that, basical- ly, reality show marathons work because these shows go down easy but also have a "lulling rhythm" built into them that keeps us from turning away. He likens them to the TV equivalent of a jigsaw puzzle. Q: I just started watching the Netflix series "Archive 81," and it says it was based on a podcast. What was it called and where can I find it? A: The podcast was simply called "Archive 81," and to quote the common refrain in the digi- tal-audio sphere, you can find it "wherever you get your pod- casts." That means that it's not exclusive to any one platform. You can, for example, down- load from Spotify, Apple Pod- casts, Stitcher and more. Or, to make it easier, you can just go to Archive81.com and follow the links from there. If none of that made any sense to you, don't worry, you aren't alone. Podcasts are a relatively new storytelling format, born and living exclusively on the in- ternet. That said, they're basical- ly just online radio shows. (In- deed, they owe a lot to the radio dramas of the pre-TV era — imagine a bunch of neo-Orson Welleses recording in their liv- ing rooms instead of a studio.) The "Archive 81" show is part of a trend towards TV series based on podcasts. The most no- table example is probably "Homecoming," the Amazon show that starred Julia Roberts ("Pretty Woman," 1990) in its first season. Meanwhile, the "Ar- chive 81" podcast was also part of a trend — much like the old radio shows, fiction podcasts lean heavily towards horror and sci-fi. The medium is also nicely suited to the more modern found-footage horror genre. If you like the "Archive 81" podcast, there are loads of other shows based on a podcaster "finding" old recordings of something scary. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Per- sonal replies will not be provided. Advance Pest Control 2 x 2 TAKE 5 Solution on page T23 Use the clues above and beside the grid to fill in the squares BY ADAM THOMLISON TV Media Q: I saw an old episode of "ER" (I guess that's redun- dant) and saw Jim Belushi do an amazing job in a dramatic role. I thought he only did comedy. A: Jim Belushi is known as a comedy guy, but his career path suggests he's been fighting against the categorization. He got his start in the Second City comedy troupe, following in the footsteps of his already-fa- mous older brother John ("The Blues Brothers," 1980). However, his first big-screen role was a small part in the ultra-gritty 1980's crime drama "Thief." Three years later he joined the "Saturday Night Live" cast (again following John's trail) — which is how he came to nation- al attention — and then he land- ed big supporting parts in come- dies such as "About Last Night" and "Little Shop of Horrors" (both 1986), and later, the sitcom "According to Jim." But again he seems to have turned back to the more serious stuff as soon as he got the chance. When he graduated from supporting player to big- screen star, it was in another ur- ban drama, playing the new principal of a crime-ridden high school in 1987's aptly named "The Principal." He has repeated this pattern throughout his ca- reer, yet he has always been known for his comedy roles. Indeed, just a couple of years ago, in an appearance on "To- day" to promote his dramatic film "Wonder Wheel," host Ka- thie Lee Gifford introduced him by saying, "Now he's taking a more serious turn," as if those past decades of dramatic films hadn't happened. Q: Could you tell me why every time I change the chan- nel to HGTV, I get "Love It or List It"? Did everyone else jump ship to Magnolia Net- work? A: There are a few reasons why this is happening, but it's unlikely it's due to the launch of Magnolia. For those who haven't heard, DIY Network has been rebrand- ed as Magnolia Network, with the new brand being built by for- mer HGTV stars Chip and Joan- na Gaines (of "Fixer Upper" fame). But despite that one high- profile poach, there's no reason Jim Belushi, seen here promoting "According to Jim," starred in an episode of "ER" HOLLYWOOD Q&A Rogers 479-636-5590 • Springdale 479-756-1788 Eureka Springs 479-253-8967 www.advancepestcontrolnwa.com Family Owned, Competitively Priced, Quality Service Since 1981 PEST CONTROL | TERMITE FERTILIZATION | WEED CONTROL PRE-EMERGENTS