Eugene Levy sets off in ‘The Reluctant Traveler’
Are we there yet?: Emmy-winning actor, writer and producer Eugene Levy — known most recently for his role as family patriarch Johnny Rose in the awards show darling “Schitt’s Creek” — gets ready to boldly go where he’s never dared to go before.the new, eight-episode travel series “The Reluctant Traveler” premieres Friday, Feb. 24, on Apple TV+.
Self-confessed to not being the typical travel show host, as he’s not the most adventurous man in the world and is not particularly accustomed to globe-trotting, Levy agreed that it’s high time he broaden his horizons — even if it means confronting some longheld fears, from the horror of airports to the realities of exploring a new place. Proving that it’s never too late to start a new chapter in life, Levy, now 76, packs up his bags (still with some trepidation) and buckles up for the adventure of his lifetime.
Throughout the series, cameras follow Levy “as he visits some of the world’s most beautiful and intriguing destinations in Costa Rica, Finland, Italy, Japan, Maldives, Portugal, South Africa and the United States, exploring remarkable hotels and the places and cultures surrounding them” (per Apple TV).
“It’s really been an eye-opener,” Levy told Vanity Fair’s Derek Lawrence of the experience. “To say you’re not really keen on traveling, it’s not the greatest thing to say. It’s not something that’s impressing people. And now, I’m getting it.”
And while he may have initially been reluctant to head out at all, Levy continued on to say, “I’m actually having such a great time doing the show; I’m really hoping people take to it. But, regardless, it’s been a great year. Whether there’s a future to this or not, it’s been an amazing experience.”
Join in on the adventure of a lifetime when “The Reluctant Traveler” with Eugene Levy premieres on Apple TV+ Friday, Feb. 24.
Crime in Carolina: Netflix is taking on true crime as it happens in the new, three-episode miniseries “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal,” which premieres on the streamer Wednesday, Feb. 22.
Centered around the Murdaugh family, once one of South Carolina’s most prominent families, their legacy began unraveling after the death of teenager Mallory Beach in a drunk boating accident in 2019.Two years later, in 2021, Paul Murdaugh — the alleged driver of the boat — and his mother, Maggie, were found brutally murdered in their own home. In July 2022, attorney Alex Murdaugh, Paul’s father and Maggie’s husband, was arrested on two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The official trial began Jan. 25, 2023.
As the world becomes increasingly interested in the case, “A Southern Scandal” features firsthand accounts from those on the boat on that fateful night, including Paul’s longtime girlfriend, Morgan Doughty; Mallory Beach’s childhood friends Miley Altman and Connor Cook; and Mallory’s boyfriend, Anthony Cook, among other. The series also digs into “a century of corruption, power and cover-ups in the Low Country,” (per Netflix), which were all brought to light after Paul and Maggie’s deaths.
From executive producers Julia Willoughby Nason and Jenner Furst, both of “Time: The Kalief Browder Story,” and Michael Gasparro (“Lularich”), who also serves as showrunner, “A Southern Scandal” is directed by Nason and Furst.
Follow along as the story unfolds when “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” premieres on Netflix Wednesday, Feb. 22.
Season of song: As the days grow longer and with spring right around the corner,abc is singing in a new season of “American Idol” with even more twists and talent-pushing challenges to bring the best singers out on top.the series’ 21st season premieres Sunday, Feb. 19, on the Alphabet Network and will also be available to stream on Hulu.
An iconic series that pioneered the music competition genre, “American Idol” originally premiered on Fox in 2002, with “Since U Been Gone” singer Kelly Clarkson taking home the very first title and launching into a career in Hollywood.after being canceled by Fox in 2016,ABC picked up the reins in 2018 and brought the show back to life.
Longtime host Ryan Seacrest, who has been with the show from the beginning and now boasts a prolific career as a television producer in his own right, returns to take up hosting duties once more.the new season also sees the return of superstar judges Katy Perry (“Teenage Dream”), Lionel Richie (“All Night Long”) and Luke Bryan (“Country Girl”), who have hosted the series since its debut on ABC.
But despite its steady main cast, Season 21 does have some new surprises in store for contestants and for viewers: the introduction of a fan-chosen “platinum ticket” to the top. After the official audition rounds took place in Las Vegas, New Orleans and Nashville earlier in 2022, fans had the chance to vote on one of three hopeful competitors to take home the ticket at the American Music Awards in November.while the platinum tickets were introduced last season to celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary, it was all up to the judges to decide on the worthiest competitors.the winners of the tickets earned the privilege of skipping the first round of the very challenging Hollywood Week.
This season’s platinum ticket winner is North Carolina’s Elijah Mccormick, who sang a soulful rendition of “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts for his audition in Nashville.
Don’t miss the start of “American Idol’s” 21st season when it premieres on ABC and Hulu Sunday, Feb. 19.