January Recap: A Byline First, 'White Lotus,' Chinese New Year in Vegas and Joyful Things in Los Angeles
I also talked with 'Cross' star Isaiah Mustafa, 'The Voice's' Kelsea Ballerini and more!
January was, in a nutshell, a weird way to start 2025. I happened to land in Los Angeles on day four of the awful fires that were ravaging multiple parts of the City of Angeles. Thankfully, things got under control but only after so much damage had been done so I’m sending love to my former home city. Then there was also the inauguration that proved off the bat that the next four years will be in, a word, challenging.
But January 2025 wasn’t a total bust. My first piece landed in the Los Angeles Times earlier this week, which was exciting. Emily Osment, who I have talked to several times for many of her past projects like Young and Hungry, Almost Family (I moderated that one at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills in 2019) and Young Sheldon. She’s now headlining the spin-off Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage on CBS and the LA Times chat quickly became one of my favorites ever. Read the interview right here.
Next, for TV Guide Magazine, I talked to EP Audrey Morrissey about how Adam Levine came back to the fold on The Voice after being away for five years and singer Kelsea Ballerini joins for her first season as a full-time coach and talked about the challenges and camaraderie amongst the four coaches. Read the online story here.
And it was a month of new trailers (The White Lotus drops season 3 on Feb 16!) …have you seen the trailer? Also, the fact that it’s set in Thailand is all kinds of awesome.
'The White Lotus' Season 3 Trailer and Key Art Drops
“Our hotel is the best in the world. At the end of the week you will be an entirely different person.”
Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! I was in Las Vegas earlier this month and was blown away with how big the Bellagio Hotel and Casino went with their always-terrific conservatory to celebrate. Watch my video below.
Chinese New Year 2025...in Las Vegas? YES!
Given the fires that were raging in Los Angeles earlier this month, I refrained from posting some of my travels while I was visiting for obvious reasons. But a quick Las Vegas trip did provide some fun distractions given the usual spots to visit like the Bellagio Fountain and playing some slots.
It’s always fun for me when one of my buddies lands in a big hit TV series so I had to talk with my pal Isaiah Mustafa about his experience thus far in the first season of Amazon Prime Video’s Cross and more!
Did Isaiah Mustafa know CROSS would be a hit with viewers? (INTERVIEW)
What a journey it’s been for actor Isaiah Mustafa to land on the Amazon Prime Video hit crime drama Cross, which launched in November and quickly became a must-see show for viewers. In fact, the series, based based on James Patterson’s “Alex Cross” novels and starring Aldis Hodge as Alex Cross and Mustafa as his partner and BFF John Sampson, hit 40 mill…
Once 2025 started, I had some time to think about the past year and how much more important writing my Coffee TV and Me newsletter for Substack became for me. I was able to write some fun posts like my Joyful Things posts when the world was weighing us down as well as thoughtful, personal posts about my deceased mother, career and even some creative writing. See how I summed it up here:
Joining Substack...One Year Later
My very first Substack post launched on January 17, 2024 and it came at a precarious time for me. Not only was I in my first six months of a major life change by having moved from Los Angeles to Bangkok, Thailand with my husband Boyd and our beloved black cat, Mango, but I also had a career jolt when I was let go from my job at TV Guide Magazine in Dece…
….and after arriving in Los Angeles and seeing the smoke billowing above the West Side of town where the Palisades had been burning for several days, I could only thin to post some fun clips and videos that might bring a little smile during a dark, sad time.
Joyful Things: I Love L.A. Edition
I lived in Los Angeles for a total of 25 years and while I experienced my share of earthquakes, wind storms and the occasional fire in that time, I never thought it could get as bad as it was this past week with the fires raging in the Pacific Palisades and other parts of the city. And it still isn’t completely over.
The January subscription special is over as of today but I’d still encourage you to support this independent newsletter with an annual or monthly subscription. And if you still want a little subscription discount, hit me up and we’ll see what we can do! And, of course, welcome to all the free subscribers, too! I’m glad you’re all here!
January Subscription Special
It’s a new year and as I head into my second year writing this newsletter, I’ve learned a lot, heard from so many of you and I can’t wait to give you more great content in 2025. Interviews, musings, travel videos (many with my husband, Boyd) and the occasional cat appreciation post.
It’s always tough in my job when someone I have met and interviewed over the years passes away, as singer/actress Linda Lavin did unexpectedly on December 29, 2024. I had talked to her in 2013 for another show but I was writing for LGBTQ press and had to ask her about gay storylines on her iconic 70s sitcom, Alice. Thankfully, I found that old transcript and posted it earlier this month. She will be missed!
Flashback: Linda Lavin on That 'Risky' Gay Storyline on 'Alice' in 1976
It was the summer of 2013 and one of the most anticipated new sitcoms coming that fall was NBC’s Sean Saves the World, which brought Will & Grace star Sean Hayes to his own sitcom. In the series, Hayes played a gay father whose teenaged daughter (Samantha Isler) suddenly comes to live with him and much of the comedy came from his juggling fatherhood wit…
Until next time…..