Cover Story this week Triple threat
Late Laughs
Three is definitely not a crowd in ‘Happy Together’
As Cooper settles in, Jake and Claire begin to realize they may not be the hip couple they used to be and worry that their lives have become ith endless entertainment at mundane. Cooper’s presence inspires the touch of a button and abundant convenience food options them to explore their wild sides and available, many modern couples sink get fit, but they soon discover that into a life of relative comfort and pre- not acting their age has consequences. In contrast, the pop star revels in dictability. But being comfortable the laid-back atmosphere of Jake and can be awfully boring, especially on TV. A couple gets a taste of the sweet Claire’s suburban home, where he life in a new comedy, and so far audi- can relax away from the glitz and glamor of his celebrity lifestyle. ences are eating it up. Admittedly, it’s a far-fetched Damon Wayans Jr. (“New Girl”) premise for a sitcom, but the idea stars as Jake Davis, a successful acwas actually inspired by a true story. countant who lives a comfortable Singer Harry Styles (“Dunkirk,” suburban life with his wife, restau2017) from the British pop group rant and bar designer Claire (Amber One Direction once lived in the attic Stevens West, “The Carmichael of producer Ben Winston’s (“The Show”), in “Happy Together,” airing Late Late Show With James Corden”) Monday, Nov. 26, on CBS. Their lives humble home in London for several have been turned upside down by months. “Happy Together” may have Jake’s client, Cooper James (Felix been inspired by Styles’ time living Mallard, “Neighbours”), an Austrawith Winston and his family, but the lian pop star who moves in with the executive producer has made it clear couple in the hopes of escaping the paparazzi after a very public breakup. that the comedy isn’t a true-to-life retelling of the experience. “Although Harry and I are producing this show together,” Winston explained on Twitter in August, “it is
By Kyla Brewer TV Media
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simply loosely inspired by our living situation. NO character and NO stories are based on anything real.” Styles wasn’t attached to the show in the beginning, but he has since signed on as an executive producer, alongside Winston and show creators Tim McAuliffe (“The Office”) and Austen Earl (“9JKL”). Michael Rotenberg (“King of the Hill”) and Jonathan Berry (“Insecure”) also serve as executive producers of the new CBS comedy. So far, ratings for the series have been modest but fairly steady, with more than four million loyal viewers regularly tuning in. That’s no small feat, given the competition. “Happy Together” has held its own against such series as ABC’s ratings juggernaut “Dancing with the Stars,” Fox’s medical drama “The Resident” and NBC’s reality TV hit “The Voice.” With such an unlikely premise, the series was initially on shaky ground, but it has managed to find its footing since premiering in early October. Much of the show’s appeal is thanks to the comedic
Amber Stevens West and Damon Wayans Jr. in “Happy Together”
Meet a Match
Jennifer met Jessa at Harrison Elementary when she was her music teacher. They made a special connection and so in the spring of 2014, they became Kinship Partners. These two like going to movies, spending time at Jennifer’s house just “hanging out” and spending a lot of time playing board games. There is a lot of laughter when they are together and they genuinely enjoy each other’s company. Jennifer says “Jessa is incredibly good natured and has the most delightful giggle! It’s been a perfect match!”
Why not start your own friendship journey? For more information about Kinship Partners, please call (218)-829-4606 or visit our website at www.kinshippartners.org
2 • November 25 - December 1, 2018 • Brainerd Dispatch
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Photo by: Jen Salvevold of Photojenic Studio, Pequot Lakes
chemistry between its three stars. Wayans, Stevens West and Mallard have been praised for their timing and delivery as the trio of housemates. Both Wayans and Stevens West have been rising through the ranks of American television for years. Australian actor Mallard may be a fresh face to American viewers, but in his homeland he’s well known for his work on the Australian soap opera “Neighbours.” The show’s supporting cast includes Stephnie Weir (“MADtv”) as Claire’s mother, Bonnie, a retired doctor. Victor Williams (“The King of Queens”) portrays Claire’s father, Gerald, a role that was originally supposed to be played by Tim Meadows (“Saturday Night Live”), who had to leave the project because of other commitments. Gerald, too, is a retired doctor. Chris Parnell (“Saturday Night Live”) co-stars as Cooper’s agent, Wayne. So far, “Happy Together” is amassing an impressive list of guest stars with late night host James Corden appearing as himself in the show’s pilot, along with Disney darling Peyton List (“Jessie”) as Cooper’s ex-girlfriend, vapid celeb Sierra Quinn. TV veteran Damon Wayans (“In Living Color”), the real-life father of series star Wayans Jr., appeared in an October episode of the show as — you guessed it — Jake’s father. It wasn’t the first time the fatherson duo has acted together. They have appeared together many times, most recently in Wayans Jr.’s previous series “Happy Endings.” In an ew.com article, the younger Wayans joked about how he convinced his dad to guest star in his latest series. “I had my agent call his agent,” he quipped, “and after some contentious negotiating, I made the personal call and went, ‘Hey, man, you’re my dad.’” In the episode of “Happy Together” featuring both Wayanses, Jake realized that his relationship with his father may not be as close as he once thought when his dad opened up to Cooper instead of him. Other storylines have explored Claire’s efforts to get back into her old jeans, Jake’s hopes to slam dunk again, the couple’s unhealthy eating habits and Cooper’s struggles to distance himself from celebrity culture. At the end of the day, it’s the strength of the performances that make the sitcom watchable, even with its unlikely premise.
The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon Halloween’s just two days away, and here in New York, the MTA created a “Haunted Subway” filled with creepy lighting and zombies. Passengers said, “Wow, this is terrifying!” Then officials said, “Oh no, this is a regular D-train.” I read that some people are giving out healthier candy this Halloween, made from things like quinoa or beets. Even people giving out apples with razor blades were like, “You monsters!”
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert On election night, “The Late Show” will be live right here at the Ed Sullivan Theater, all night, but of course, the entire show will be on a 10-second delay in case someone says something obscene, like “Ted Cruz won.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live Have you been following the blood feud between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj? Now you may know, Cardi B threw a shoe at Nicki Minaj during Fashion Week in New York. Which is also how the Tupac-Biggie feud got started. A lot of people didn’t know that. We dressed up for Halloween as we typically do. Our theme this year is classic TV shows from our youth. Tonight, we are dressed as characters that everyone under 40 years old will have to Google.
Late Night With Seth Meyers The New York City Marathon is this weekend. And thanks to the subway system, it’s now the most efficient way to get around the city. A company has released a list of the richest pets of 2018, with the No. 1 spot going to a German Shepherd named Gunther the Fourth, who is worth $375 million. Raising the troubling question: What happened to the other three Gunthers?
Weekend Update With Colin Jost and Michael Che Old white people have the strangest fears. Of all the things that actually should scare them — salt, stairs, bathtubs, Joel Osteen — why are you freaking out about Mexicans? If anything, you need to send the troops to stop your grandkids from stealing your pain pills. The Trump campaign has launched a new ad with the slogan: “Things Are Getting Better. We Can’t Go Back.” In my experience, a good way to tell that things are not getting better is that someone feels the need to tell you that things are getting better.