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February 6 - 12, 2023 Page 3 ACROSS 1. Dr. __ Warren; "Station 19" role 4. __ Kenney of "The Conners" 8. "America's __ Talent" 11. Retirement account 12. "__ Man"; Hoffman/ Cruise movie 13. Emerson's monogram 14. Role on "Big Sky" (2) 17. Film-oriented pay-TV network 18. "__ Do Fools Fall in Love" 19. Ma, for one (hyph.) 21. Game broadcaster 24. Peggy Bundy's man 25. "__ Brea" 26. "As __ sow, so ..." 27. "Touched by __ Angel" 28. Arthur of tennis fame 30. Comedian/actress Rudolph 32. Bobby the Bruin 34. Public prosecutors 35. Former actor on "Chicago Fire" (2) 41. Mr. Linkletter 42. "High __"; Gary Cooper film 43. "__ Life to Live" 44. "__, Dear" 45. Actor Nelson 46. Number of seasons for "Friends" DOWN 1. Pen name 2. Period of time 3. Repulsive 4. __ Winter of "The Rookie" 5. West of Hollywood 6. Prefix for wife or night 7. "Star Wars: Episode IV - __ __ Hope" 8. "__ Anatomy" 9. Big-eyed bird 10. __ Aviv 15. "The __ Brothers Comedy Hour" 16. "__ __ __ Loves a Woman"; Meg Ryan film 19. DaCosta formerly of "Chicago Med" 20. Bullring shouts 22. "__ It Again, Sam"; Woody Allen movie 23. Grandma 29. Emcees 31. British horse racing facility 33. Actress Russo 34. Declare untrue 35. Role on "Ghosts" 36. Before, to a poet 37. Lay down the lawn 38. Veggie casing 39. 180 degrees from WSW 40. Cartoon dog Solution is on page 2. CoverStory By Jay Bobbin Not only is "Not Dead Yet" a new series for Lauren Ash, it presents a new Lauren Ash. The "Superstore" alum has changed her appear - ance drastically, evident as ABC debuts her latest sitcom Wednesday, Feb. 8. She plays the new boss of a journalist (portrayed by Gina Rodriguez, television's former "Jane the Virgin") who restarts her career, and the only related job she can find is handling obituaries — with which she gets unexpected help from the ghosts of those she writes about. Hannah Simone ("New Girl") and Rick Glassman ("As We See It") also are among cast regulars. Ash's character Lexi wasn't a part of the original "Not Dead Yet" concept, adapted from Alexandra Potter's book "Confessions of a 40-Something F—- -up," but the friendly actress says she felt the revised pilot script "really blended comedy and heart. My favorite things to do on 'Superstore' were those rooted-in-heart moments, and that speaks to me in general. I laughed out loud at the beginning, then I was getting teary by the end, and I thought it would be such a wonderful gift to be a part of." Additionally, Ash was attracted by Lexi being "so different from what I'd been doing for so long. There's the stakes of her wanting to impress her dad, because she has lived such a privi- leged life in so many ways, she doesn't necessarily have the kind of work ethic or tenacity you would need to be successful in running a newspaper in the current climate." Also an executive pro- ducer of "Not Dead Yet," Rodriguez was mentioned when Ash received the offer. The latter reflects that under that circumstance, "I don't know how bad the script would have to be for me to say, 'No!' She is one of the greatest human beings alive, on top of being uber-talented. It's truly such a pleasure and a joy every day." "Not Dead Yet" boasts many "name" guest stars in its initial episodes, including Martin Mull, Ed Begley Jr., Rhea Perlman, Brittany Snow and "Saturday Night Live" alum Julia Sweeney. Ash has come to the show with a very obvious weight loss since her last steady television job, a transformation she attributes to "cutting stress out of my life." Ash recalls that "it was almost 18 months exactly be- tween 'Superstore' wrapping filming and my starting this, and I don't think I realized how much I missed it until I got back to it. I had been writing and developing a bunch of different projects during those 18 months, which was great — but by the end, when this came, I was ready. I was like, 'I need to go back to work! This is what I do.' " New sitcom ensures Lauren Ash's career is 'Not Dead Yet' 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 Movies for Grownups Awards With AARP the Magazine (PBS — new spe- cial, Feb. 17) Alan Cumming hosts as 2022's best are celebrated at the 21st annual awards from the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Among this year's contenders for best movie are "Elvis," "Everything Everywhere All at Once," "The Fablemans," "Tar," "Top Gun: Maverick," "The Woman King," and "Women Talking." These awards also champion the 50-plus audience, fighting in- dustry ageism and encourag- ing films and TV shows that resonate with older viewers.

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