Today's Entertainment

December 27, 2021 - January 2, 2022 Page 3 ACROSS 1. __ Stolte of "Chicago Fire" 8. Not barefoot 9. "__ of Tomorrow"; 2014 Tom Cruise film 10. "ABC World __ __ With David Muir" 14. Gilpin of "Frasier" 15. Alex Trebek's province of birth 16. "Star Wars: Episode __ - Revenge of the Sith" 17. Exposed 18. Sixth sense, for short 19. "The __ the limit!" 20. Fanny 24. "__ the Dog"; Hoffman/ De Niro movie 27. Young hoodlum 28. Starz competitor 29. Son on "Father Knows Best" 32. "Star Trek __ Darkness"; 2013 film 33. Actress on "Law & Order: SVU" (2) 36. Ward, for one 37. Anatomical pouches 38. Role on "NCIS: Los Angeles" (2) DOWN 1. 2021 film for Tom Holland 2. Mandel's namesakes 3. Yellow Brick & others: abbr. 4. Portable shelter 5. Tyrant Amin 6. Texas A&M student 7. Favorite drinks for Radar of "M*A*S*H" 8. __ peek; preview 11. "According __ Jim" 12. "Studio 60 __ the Sunset Strip" 13. Waiter's hope 14. "Sesame Street" network 20. "This Is __ Tap"; Rob Reiner film 21. Carol Burnett's role with Mama 22. Feeds the kitty 23. Ref.'s decision 24. President Taft's monogram 25. Lower in rank; demean 26. Role for Jim Nabors 29. Bric-a-__ 30. "Rocky" distribution co. 31. Initials for Marlo's dad 34. Actress Larter 35. "McFarland, __"; Kevin Costner film Solution is on page 2. CoverStory By Jay Bobbin Dierks Bentley typically spends New Year's Eve on a holiday skiing vaca- tion, but not this time. Along with many other country-music stars, he'll help CBS get back in the Dec. 31 special-program- ming game — something the network largely has been out of since its years of featuring bandleader Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians. Starting in primetime schedule and resuming after late local news on Friday, Dec. 31, "New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash" will present Bentley, Zac Brown Band and Dan + Shay as headliners at the title city's Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. Bobby Bones and "Enter - tainment Tonight's" Rachel Smith will serve as hosts. "I have a vested interest in this town and in country music, and this spotlight is a big deal for us," the friendly Bentley says. "I love watching the New Year's Eve shows with my kids and seeing the ball drop, but it just seems like it's not what it used to be. It's also really cold in New York, and it's not that it's not fun doing those shows, but there should be one from Nashville. People love country music, so it's about time we have a show coming out of here." Bentley will have plenty of peers on hand for near- ly 50 performances from various Music City ven- ues, and the roster also includes Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton and Cole Swindell. Holding to Nash- ville tradition, the drop of a "music note" will prompt fireworks at midnight Cen- tral time; the new year's East Coast arrival also will be marked. "I've been touring this year," Bentley reports (though some of his shows were canceled due to COVID-19 protocols), "and with what's happen- ing with audiences out on the road, there's this celebratory feeling and a sense of relief. People are congregating and singing at the top of their lungs, and putting a period on 2021 and hoping for better things in 2022 is going to be a big theme in down- town Nashville. It'll be a much-needed party, that's for sure." The pandemic has giv- en Bentley — who's won multiple awards from the Country Music Associa- tion and the Academy of Country Music — more time than he expected to work on his forthcoming 10th studio album. He already has released its singles "Gone" and "Beers on Me," both of which he expects to perform on the New Year's Eve special. Dierks Bentley helps Nashville bring the new year to CBS The identity of the featured celebrity is found within the answers in the puzzle. In order to take the TV Challenge, unscramble the letters noted with asterisks within the puzzle. InFocus "Married to Real Estate" (HGTV — series premiere, Jan. 13, 2022) Real estate broker and designer Egypt Sherrod and her husband, builder Mike Jackson, "marry" their complementary skills in this new eight-episode series aimed at helping families find a perfect home in their ideal metro Atlanta neighborhood. In the opener, Egypt and Mike tour two unique properties with a couple who are big fans of mid-century modern style. Once they choose a property, the clients point out design elements in the original structure that they want to keep, so Egypt and Mike incorporate those features into their renovation.

• Cover